Bride of the Water God
by writer4everr
Summary: All we did was touch hands! But somehow that resulted in me, Sakura Haruno, a mortal girl, being the bride to the Water God, Sasuke Uchiha. *sigh* goddesses, witches, and an extremely handsome god are all too much for a mortal to handle.  SASUSAKU
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary:  Sakura Haruno is chosen to be a sacrifice, in order to appease the temperamental Water God, Sasuke Uchiha. Her plan is just to convince him to send down a little rain and then return home. But then she accidentally bonds herself to the man and finds herself stuck in the immortal land. Guess she'll just have to deal with becoming the Bride of the Water God and try not to fall in love with that cocky jerk! SASUSAKU. other pairings: naruhina

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><p><span>Chapter One: Sacrifice<span>

_Once upon a time there was a little village, struck by a drought. Their crops failed, the children began dying off and their lives were thrown in turmoil._

_Desperate for rain, the villagers prayed everyday to the Water God, but still, no rain fell from the skies._

_The villagers approached their shaman for aid. "What shall we do?" they asked miserably. "The rain still does not fall!"_

_The shaman replied wisely, "You have angered the Water God. Appease him."_

_Dread rippled through the people as they knew that a sacrifice was necessary in order to appease the temperamental God. However, they were desperate and they agreed to choose a maiden for the sacrifice._

_A meeting was held and they chose the most beautiful maiden in their village who was sure to appease the Water God. The maiden accepter her fate without a word and agreed to become the sacrifice._

_This is her story, the story of the Bride of the Water God._

My fate was determined the moment my name was said aloud.

"Sakura Haruno."

The emptiness of my name resounded throughout the room, ringing through my ears. It was me. I had been chosen. Chosen for what you may ask? Don't expect it to be something grand and honorable, because I had been chosen as a sacrifice to the Water God, Sasuke Uchiha.

There were rumors that the Water God was an ugly demon and lashed out violently. Others said he was a beautiful dragon with a fearsome demeanor. I didn't know what to believe, but I accepted it. Maybe I should have protested against this unfair judgment.

Maybe I should have…but I didn't.

I nodded my head in submission and let the shaman take me by the hand and lead me to the sacred lake where I would meet fate head on. I heard the crying of my little sister behind me. My parents simply looked on without a hint of emotion.

I swallowed hard, there was a reason I was doing this. I wasn't doing this just for the starving families and sick children. I was going to prove once and for all, Sakura Haruno was not useless.

The shaman began chanting and I stepped precariously into the lake, the hem of my detailed robes soaked. The chanting grew louder in my ears, and I finally saw the magic incantations began to take effect. The water churned around and rose until, it reached my knees. It rose even more now to my stomach. It twisted around my body it was to my chest now and a sense of dread bubbled up in my stomach but I forced it down. I was going through with this. The water now, reached my chin, and I sucked in a quick breath before the water rose around my face and I was completely surrounded by the cool water.

There was now a sucking sensation at my feet and I felt the ground underneath me began to open into a vortex, and I felt my body getting heavier and heavier as I was plunged into the depths of the lake, where the land of Gods awaited me.

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><p>I could smell the salty sea before I opened my eyes and it instantly made the bile rise in my mouth. My eyes flashed open and I turned to the side to heave the contents of my stomach into the sand. "Nngh…" I groaned. And then that's when I remembered. I was in the supernatural world. I wasn't at home anymore! I struggled to stand up but my ocean soaked robes made it difficult to stand up and I just sat up on what appeared to be a beach.<p>

"Are you okay?" an amused voice chuckled beside me. The voice surprised me as I hadn't expected anybody to be near me. I whipped around and instantly, my cheeks grew hot. An insanely gorgeous man around my age sat languidly on the sand, his fingers, digging into the grainy surface. He had deep onyx eyes and raven locks that gave him a mysterious aura about him, but his small smirk just about killed me.

"I-I-Who are you?" I demanded, scurrying backwards away from the stranger. He couldn't be a god, gods were demonic looking and this guy was just about the farthest thing from a demon.

He smirked again, "You're a mortal aren't you? A mortal isn't worth my time." He stated bluntly and stood up. His robes opened up just a little as he stood, revealing his toned chest. I tried to ignore his body and focus on his rudeness. Who did he think he was?

I swallowed hard and glared at him, "Fine." I gritted out and tried to stand up but lost my balance and had to reach out and hold onto his forearm for support. He looked down at me in surprise and I instantly retracted my arm. "I'm just looking for the Water God, so if you could just saw east or west that would be a lot of help."

He stopped and stared at me intently, "What do you want with the Water God; he's a busy man you know." He gave me a devilish grin and my cheeks heated once more.

"Obviously so busy that he can't even send water down to my village." I replied heatedly, my temper flaring up. "What kind of Water God is he, anyways?" I asked haughtily.

He turned around now to face me full on. His expression was unreadable but he clearly wasn't as playful as before. "You're a sacrifice aren't you?" he enquired flatly.

"Well, obviously." I replied cheekily.

He shook his head, irritably, "I keep telling those damn mortals…" he muttered under his breath. His hand shot out and he grabbed me tightly by the shoulders, "Let's go." He stated abruptly.

"Ouch." I cringed and then tried to wriggle out of his grasp but failed. "Wait a second, who are you? How do I know you're not going to feed me to the Water God or something? I just want my village to have water and then go home, kay?" I rambled on, trying to stop him from taking me away. I yanked back a final time and he finally stopped in his tracks to turn to me.

"Look." He sighed in exasperation. He ran a hand through his raven hair. This somehow, made him look even handsomer. FOCUS, Sakura! I mentally slapped myself. "I can get you back home. So just shut up and follow me." He turned around again, but I grabbed his arm.

"Wait." I frowned stubbornly. "What about the water?"

He rolled his eyes, "The water." He repeated. "Yeah, sure whatever, now let's go!" he growled and pulled me along. I reluctantly went along and I trudged around in my wet robes.

The man was walking really quickly, and I being out of shape was out of breath while he didn't even break a sweat. Goddamn athletes… We walked off the beach and approached a small but tidy village with a looming palace in the background. I swallowed as I realized that that was probably where the Water God resided. It really was a beautiful place but I was way too even care.

He went down an alleyway and we came to a little shack that looked rundown and unsanitary and I cringed as a rat passed by my robes. The man knocked once on the door and immediately somebody came and opened the door.

The heavy wooden door swung open to reveal a beautiful blonde woman of imposing stature. She looked like she belonged in the palace and not in this grimy shack. She wore silken robes and had it cut low enough to reveal a flower tattoo upon her neck. However, instead of petals, there were daggers etched in. She glanced at me with cool blue eyes and then turned her attention to the man.

"My Lord…" she whispered. I frowned, 'My Lord'? Was this man of royalty or something?

The man cut her off, "They sent another sacrifice." He pushed me forward and I stumbled on the pavement. "I need you to send her back."

The woman glared at him, "That takes time and you know it. I can't just whip up that potion in a few minutes." She snapped back.

The man's eyes flashed, "I told the mortals to stop sending sacrifices down here and I want her out of here before the banquet. I know you can do a rush job, Ino."

Ino paused and stared at me before finally conceding, "Alright. But you owe me for this." She jabbed him in the arm. She was about to pull me into the shack but I paused. What about the man? Who was he? And was he really going to follow up on his promise?

My hand shot out and I grabbed his hand, "Wait!" He turned back, his eyes wide with surprise and I was about to yell but a blinding flash interrupted.

I could hardly see but the light was emanating from the contact of our hands and I felt something wrapping around my wrist. Something slithering around my skin and I tried to yank my hand back but it was as if somebody has super glued our palms together.

"What's happening?" I yelled over the chaos. I saw the man's face and it was a look of pure shock and the witch's face was of disbelief.

The slithering around my wrist finally halted and then I felt a burning sensation on my skin and I let out a yelp of pain and stumbled backwards, finally detaching myself from the man.

I was panting and I stood up shakily, "Wh-what was that?" I asked confused. I looked over at the man and he was pale as he lifted up his wrist to stare at it. Confused, I lifted up my own wrist and saw a crescent moon etched onto my skin, like a tattoo, but it still burned painfully.

The raven-haired man let out a low growl, "Ino…don't tell me that I just bonded with her…"

Ino's mouth was agape and she shook her head, "It's rare for this to happen…but you did…" she trailed off in amazement.

I interjected, "Bonded?" I repeated quizzically. I was beyond confused at this point. I was in some strange supernatural world and met a mysterious guy and girl and then bonded to the guy. God, this could NOT get any stranger. And what was bonding? I was frustrated beyond belief.

The man shook his head. "No…" he muttered. "I-I'll have to speak to Naruto or Shikamaru about this. This can't be." He looked up to speak to Ino, "Take her to the palace and hand her to Hinata's care. I'll deal with her later."

Ino nodded once and Sasuke began to walk away. I was about to yell after him but in a blink he had disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves. Bewildered I turned to Ino, "What just happened?" I asked numbly.

She rolled her eyes, "Mortals take such a long time to adjust. Look, I'm Ino, resident white witch at Konohagakure."

"Konohagakure." I repeated. So that was the name of the place.

"What's bonding?" I wondered aloud and she looked at me with a grin.

"Bonding is the supernatural tie between two beings. It makes the people more attuned to each other's emotions, thoughts and such. It's activated; I guess you can say, by hand contact. However, bonding is totally spontaneous, it can happen before or after any romantic attraction. Bonding marks you as his bride." She replied, as if reciting from a dictionary.

"Oh…wait. WHAT? I'm his bride?" I repeated weakly. "I-I don't even know who he is. I just came here to talk to the Water God and try to convince him-"

She cut me off with another roll of her cerulean eyes, "You really have no idea who that man was?" she demanded.

I nodded with a sheepish smile.

She sighed, "That's Sasuke Uchiha."

Recognition came to my mind and my jaw dropped. "You mean that I bonded with the—"

Ino nodded, "You bonded with the Water God." She lifted up my wrists. "This," she pointed to the crescent moon mark, "Marks you as his bride."

Sakura paled and only one thought came to her mind, _FML._

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><p><span>AN: Hello my lovely readers :) I am back with another story! This was inspired by Bride of the Water God and so I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. As usual it's a lot shorter because that's how my first chapters always are just to give you a taste.

It's going to get better from here on out so PLEASE stick with this story!

Hope you guys enjoyed it and leave me a review please :)

UNTIL THEN,

WRITER4EVERR


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hello there…

My thoughts were jumbled and incoherent as the witch led me to the castle. _"__What the hell had I gotten myself into? I had only touched his hand! I__'d only thought he was__ kind of__ hot, it wasn'__t as if I__ had fallen in love with him or some crap like that. Urrghh…everything was so messed up!__"_

"We're here." The crystal clear voice rang out and I snapped back to reality. The witch was staring at me bemusedly and motioned behind her. My eyes traveled to where she was pointing and my eyes widened. A tall, crystalline palace lay in front of the glacial mountains. The entrance was a wide gate with two women standing guard at front.

"Wow…" I murmured my appreciation for its beauty. "Am I staying here?" I asked hesitantly.

Ino nodded, "As will I. I usually reside in that dingy shack but, I have a room in this palace too." She shrugged, "Many gods visit each other's palaces, and it's very common. The Fire God and the God of Knowledge currently reside here too. I think the Goddess of Defense also came by earlier today.

I just stared at her blankly. _Fire God, Goddess of what?_The blonde witch rolled her eyes and just pulled me along.

We approached the gate and immediately, the two female guards approached us. They wore ice blue kimonos and masks that concealed their appearances. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the masks were animals. I shivered involuntarily at this revelation.

"Lady Ino, we didn't realize you'd be back so soon…" their voices were barely above a whisper and the sound quickly faded.

Ino tossed back her hair with a smug smile, "Well I had to keep Lord Shikamaru in check, didn't I? Plus, Lord Sasuke put me in charge of the banquet…and speaking of him…we ran into a complication." She gestured over at me.

Their heads whipped around to turn in my direction. And I managed a weak smile, "Uhm…hey?" I couldn't see their expressions but their curiosity was almost palpable.

"She's a mortal…" they hissed out venomously. "Mortals are not permitted within Kori no Mizu Palace."

Ino's eyes flashed dangerously and she grabbed my hand to pull up my sleeve. "Look." She commanded. Instantly their eyes fell upon the crescent upon my wrist and one of them breathed in sharply. The stood aside and opened the gates with a firm nod. "Please proceed in Lady Ino, we apologize for our rudeness." They muttered.

I averted my eyes and stepped forward with Ino at my side. She rushed me in and murmured to me, "Sorry about that. There's a bit of a prejudice towards mortals…as you can see. The handmaidens are the worse about it." She informed me apologetically.

"And you? You don't have a problem with me being a mortal?" I ventured.

She shook her head, "Gods, no. Granted humans can be stupid, but so can immortals, right?" With that, she walked ahead of me and continued on approaching the double doors of the palace. I hurried to keep up with her and soon I was inside the palace.

It was almost blinding being inside the palace. Bright chandeliers lit up the foyer and the marble flooring glistened. There was a large spiral staircase which led up to many levels of the palace and I craned my neck upwards to try and see where the floors stopped.

"Stop gawking, will you?" Ino frowned at me impatiently.

"How old are you?" I blurted out without thinking. It had been on my mind for a while and I was curious. She looked around my age, but she was an immortal so I wondered how long she had been around.

"I'm 243 years old. Satisfied?" she glared at me. I gulped and nodded hastily. She turned to the stairs, "Hinata!" she yelled up the staircase.

Almost immediately, a flustered girl came running down the stairs to meet Ino. She was a cute girl around my age (or at least looked like my age) and had long blue hair with a fringe bangs that nearly covered her wide blue eyes. She wore identical ice blue robes to the guards outside the palace but in addition, wore a silver sash round her waist.

She bowed deeply to Ino and then turned to me and bowed just as deep. "Welcome." She chimed out.

Ino pushed her back up, "Oh c'mon Hina-chan you know you don't have to do that crap around me!" she complained. "We're practically sisters aren't we?"

Hinata grew red and gestured to me, "There's somebody else in our presence…"she trailed off, embarrassed.

I made an awkward bow, "I'm Haruno Sakura." I smiled genuinely at the cute girl.

Hinata smiled brightly in return, "Lady Sakura, you are very pretty, indeed." She complimented me. And then her voice lowered. "A-are you a sacrifice?" she whispered out.

I nodded, "Yes, well, I suppose I was to be but…"

"Lord Sasuke does not accept sacrifices." Hinata cut in with a puzzled look. "Your village must be desperate to resort to this…alas, Lord Sasuke has been in a foul mood lately."

Ino waved her hand over us, "Yes but things have changed. Sakura's bound to Sasuke now and he told me to put you in your care."

Hinata blushed a deep red, "I would be honored to care for the Bride of the Water God."

I held up my hands defensively, "Hold it. Wait up. I never agreed to this bride stuff." I protested.

Hinata looked even more confused, "But the fates have ordained that you and Lord Sasuke be tied together."

I shook my head, "I don't even know him!" I growled out. "I just met him, regardless of what the fates freaking 'ordain'."

Ino cut in with another sharp glare at me, "Sakura, you're stuck here. So at least go along with this. We'll provide you a food and shelter, we're not planning to dice you up and eat you so relax, mmkay? You're lucky that you even bonded! Hinata over here is having troubles bonding to the man she lov-MMPH!"

Hinata clasped a hand over Ino's mouth, "Forget what she said." She smiled weakly. "She didn't say anything!" She let out another weak laugh and pulled me by the arm, "Here I'll show you to your rooms, alright?"

She pulled me up the plush carpeted stairs and went along so fast that we were up the stairs in a matter of minutes. She started walking briskly but turned to me, "I didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Hinata Hyuuga, head handmaiden at Kori no Mizu Palace. I'm in charge of taking care of all that goes around here. Visitors are my specialty."

I nodded, "Do you think you could clear up all this' bonding' nonsense for me?" I wondered.

She shook her head and laughed, "Unfortunately I'm not an expert in that, you'll have to ask Ino about that later…Oh!" she stopped all of a sudden and I looked up to see why she had paused. A handsome golden haired man was approaching us with a bright smile. He had bright blue eyes and a strong jaw line, he wasn't as handsome was Sasuke was, but he had a lighter attitude about him unlike Sasuke's dark and mysterious aura.

Hinata just about dropped to the floor in a curtsy, "Ah! Taiyo no Kami! I-I wasn't aware that you were about…I apologize that I wasn't-" Her face was all red and flustered once more and I felt embarrassed just watching her reaction.

He let out a grin, "Hinata-chan! It's fine! I was just going out for a quick breather…by the way who is this lady?"

"Th-That is Lady Sakura…she is Sasuke's erm-bride…"

Naruto's eyes widened, "BRIDE?" he gasped out. "Bride?" he repeated. Hinata nodded again. "You're kidding me…" he muttered, "That heartless bastard finally bonded to somebody, and a mortal no less."

I was getting tired with people referring to me as that cocky jerk's bride. "Haruno Sakura, at your service." I curtsied and nearly fell over in the process. My kimono was still a bit damp and clung to my skin.

He smiled brightly and nodded in acknowledgement, "Naruto Uzumaki a.k.a. the hottest god around 'cause I'm the Fire God!" he laughed at his own cheesy joke and I winced at his attempt at humor.

An awkward silence ensued and then Naruto spoke, "Well uh-I'll just let you guys go on. I'll –uh see you around." He winked at me and then turned brushing against Hinata.

It had happened quickly and if I had blinked I would have missed it but I saw it. Naruto had slipped a note inside of Hinata's hand as he walked away. And that piqued my interest right away. What had that been all about? I smirked as I saw Hinata tried to act nonchalant but she was practically hyperventilating at the moment.

"I-I'll show you to your room." She stuttered and then moved along. I nodded and followed her, still curious about the nature of Naruto and Hinata's relationship. She pulled out a key and went to a room at the end of a hallway and inserted the key in and swung the door open. I was about to walk in but noticed that she still lingered outside. She noticed my hesitation, "Oh! I'm not permitted to be inside of guest's quarters. So you just make yourself comfortable and if you need anything just call for me." She gently pushed me inside and then closed the door, leaving me all alone inside the big room.

Not that I minded. I was enjoying the peace and quiet after being transported into some crazy world. I swiveled around and sure enough my room was grand enough for a goddess, which was probably the point. It wasn't meant for a mortal. Ugh…that reminded me how out of place I felt right now. I felt so freaking home sick it wasn't even funny. I wanted the familiar hut not silk sheets. I wanted to be in the fields right now and be able to just run around. No way was I going to be able to do that here.

Beyond frustrated, I collapsed on the sheets, if I was already homesick, I was going to be screwed. I knew deep down, that I was going to be stuck here for a VERY long time. And I had to deal with it. I took in a deep breath and pumped my fist in the air, "CHAA!" I yelled out loud.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice enquired.

"OH MY G—"I put my hand over my mouth to avoid having Hinata come running over. I tried to regain my breath and turned around where the voice had spoken. _Breathe, Sakura. Breathe._

I blinked as I took in the person before me. A young man, perhaps a bit older than me sat languidly on my window sill with a lazy expression. He had long black hair tied back in a ponytail and wore gray robes with a single scarlet sash round his waist. He held up a hand, "Oi. How can so much noise come out of a little mortal?" he groaned irritably.

I twitched as I heard that word again, _mortal__. _Did gods and goddesses have some kind of sixth sense to sniff out humans? I glared at him with equal irritation, "What are you doing here?" I hissed out. "How did you even get in?"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm a god. That kind of allows me to do anything." He drawled. "Besides," he shrugged, "I just wanted to see what the whole palace has been buzzing about. The new Bride of the Water God. " His black eyes focused on me and I felt immediately uncomfortable.

He dropped down onto the floor with grace and extended a hand, "Shikamaru Naara, I'm the God of Knowledge or _Chie no Kami_" He pointed to his head. I just stared blankly at him while he stared back at me expectantly.

"What?" I blinked, "Am I supposed to curtsy or something?"

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, "Apparently you have a lot to learn around here." He muttered. "Guess I'll take it upon myself and help the needy mortal. It's something to lift the boredom." He rubbed his hands together.

"Hey!" I protested. "I'm not needy. You make me sound like I'm flailing around like a dry fish!"

He nodded, "Exactly. You are. So let me answer your questions. You don't object to that do you? "

I was about to retort back but faltered. He was right. I did need some questions answering. So I nodded and relaxed back on the bed, "Alright." I paused momentarily, "What is bonding? And how come it happened to me?"

Shikamaru nodded again in thought, "Bonding is a natural process in the supernatural world. It helps decide who we mate with and such. Bonding is process of fate that tells us who is our…well for lack of a better word….soul mate." he made a face at the corny word. "Anyways, bonding only happens to two specific people. From the moment you arrived here, fate decided you be bonded to Sasuke. So if you had touched my hand, nothing would have happened. Another thing, bonding can happen whenever to the couple. It could happen when you first meet, like you and Sasuke. Or it can happen after marriage, after your first kiss, or after you have sex. It's spontaneous, really. Get it?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

I nodded, "Yeah, but—what does bonding do to the people who are bound together?" I was still very confused.

"Well it makes you more attuned to each other's presence. It's like a sixth sense but only with your partner. You are more sensitive to their emotions, their thoughts and the pain that they feel. Bonding connects the mind together. However, because you and Sasuke just met, the bond isn't as strong as say a couple that has been bonded for decades."

I absorbed all this information greedily. But then, another thought occurred to me, "I-Isn't it bad though? For him to bond to a mortal?" I asked tentatively. Ino had stated that there was prejudice against mortals…

He frowned, "Yes well. Mortals aren't always welcome in Kyuketsuki, that's the name of the supernatural world, if you were wondering. You see, mortals have a bad name around here. It's frowned upon to be bonded to a mortal or to even befriend one. That's why Sasuke might have been eager to get you out of here." He stated simply.

My pride stung for a little bit, "Well," I bit back, "I'm not exactly happy to be here either. Lady Ino said I could be home in a few days."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nope."

I frowned, "What do you mean, 'nope'?" my voice rising anxiously.

"I mean, that since you two bonded, that changes everything. He can't send you back. Once you bond, you're stuck in Kyuketsuki."

"Permanently?" I squeaked out.

"Pretty much." He nodded.

My heart nearly gave way and I collapsed back on the pillows. Here? Forever? Oh god, I didn't even want to think about that. I began to pray fervently but then realized that the gods were the reason I was stuck in this damned mess and immediately stopped. I hit myself on the forehead while Shikamaru continued to look at me weird.

"Mortals…" he muttered quietly to himself.

_Oh god, oh God, oh God…._

A soft knock then came at the door breaking into my hyperventilation. Shikamaru looked at the door and turned back to me, "It's Hinata-san." He informed me and sure enough her voice chimed through the door.

"Lady Sakura, Lord Sasuke is now ready to see you!" she announced so cheerily you would've thought it would have been good news.

I really was royally screwed…

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><p><span>AN: Chapter 2! Don't worry if you thought that was short, my chapters are usually longer but this is just an exception :) Regardless, hope you enjoyed it! 

Thank you to ALL you story alerted, favorited, and especially reviewed. It means A LOT. Like, A LOT A LOT. Chapter 3 will be up in a maybe a week or so, so look forward to it!

REVIEWW :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Oh my mother…

Shikamaru smirked at her words, "Guess that's my cue to leave." He straightened up and strode towards the window.

I lunged for his arm and glomped on, "No!" I hissed. "You can't leave me alone like this!" I pleaded. "You got to help me out!" I insisted with a furious shake of my head.

He looked at me amused, "You're quite the interesting mortal." He sighed, "Fine. I'll stay for just a bit." Nodding, he stopped and reversed directions to open the door to reveal Hinata, beaming with a pile of clothes in her hands. "Hey. What's up?" he greeted lazily.

Hinata dropped down into a curtsy, "Ah! _Chie no Kami_…I had no idea that you were here. Lady Ino has been looking for you. She wishes to see you." She had a little smile on her lips as she spoke. I looked at Shikamaru who began groaning in irritation.

"Maann…that woman. Always nagging me to help her out! "He reached up to scratch at his head, the sleeve of is robe sliding down leaving his forearm bare. My eyes widened in surprise as I recognized a tattoo etched into his wrist. It was a crescent moon, identical to my own. I immediately wondered who he was bonded too.

"Hey!" I blurted out. "You have one too!" I pointed at him.

He glanced at me, "Wha- oh. You mean this?" he gestured to his own mark and nodded, "Yeah, I forgot to mention this." He shrugged, "It's no big deal, half the people here are bonded too."

Hinata nodded in agreement, "Yes, but people rarely show it off. Er…Shikamaru-san if you excuse us I have to Lady Sakura ready for Uchiha-san." She gestured to the kimono in her hands.

"Of course." Shikamaru gave me a shrug as if to say, "Sorry, can't you help you here." I in turn gave him a withering glance before he walked out the door. I sighed in defeat and plopped back down on my bed.

Hinata politely reprimanded me, "Lady Sakura…this is an important event. I need to get you ready or Uchiha-san will be rather cross. This isn't to be taken lightly." She gently pushed me up and began to untie my obi and peel off the wet cloth. "Now take this," she placed the dry kimono in my arms, "And change."

I considered rebelling against her orders but I relented and got up to what looked like a changing room. I opened it only to find myself blinded by a rainbow. I tried to blink rapidly to focus on what was before me. Bright robes and kimonos were lined neatly along the shelves and walls. The floor, walls, and ceiling were also a bright white that contributed in my blinding. "My god." I muttered. "What the hell is this?"

I didn't have much time to think about the enormous wardrobe and I got to changing. I folded my wet, dirty clothes neatly and just placed it in an unoccupied corner. And then I lifted up the kimono that Hinata had given me. The cloth was definitely pretty but there were so many strings hanging off! What string went to what slit? Where was I supposed to button all these colored buttons? I nearly panicked before remembering that Hinata was in the same room, "Uh…Hinata?" I called out hesitantly.

She responded immediately, flitting gracefully to my side. "You need help with that?" she laughed lightly at my puzzled expression. "Here…" I stood still while she tied the ribbons patiently and buttoned my robes up. "Don't worry. It used to take me forever to get dressed but I got better, practice makes perfect after all." She continued while brushing a blue strand out of her face.

While I was standing there, I remembered her earlier interaction with Naruto. I felt a little mischievous, so with a little smirk on my face I spoke, "So, who exactly is Lord Naruto?"

I felt her hands slip in the midst of buttoning, "Oh! Ah…he's the Fire God, of course!" she replied flustered. "H-he's a very kind man, best friends with Lord Sasuke. Yes, he's a very nice man…" she trailed off. I didn't need to turn around to know that her face was beet red.

Smirking, I continued on. "I'm curious, who is Shikamaru-san bonded too?"

Hinata didn't falter that time, but her voice dropped to a quiet whisper, "Well, it really isn't my place to say anything; I'm only a lowly maid after all. But…" my eyebrow quirked upwards, urging her on. "He's bound to Lady Ino of course." She finished, her cheeks tinged pink. "You shan't tell him I said anything."

I nearly choked with laughter at Hinata's revelation. That cold witch and that lazy god? It was almost too funny to be true. I bent over trying to gasp for breath, "Are you serious?" I questioned incredulously.

Hinata looked at me in half disdain and half amusement, "It's not very humorous." Her jaw was clenched as she looked around her, scared somebody might hear my loud laugh.

"Oh it's very humorous." I sniggered to myself and then stopped as I saw Hinata's face turn serious. I raised my hands up, "Okay I'm good now. I'm ready to see his highness." I referred to Sasuke sarcastically.

Hinata's face softened and she shook her head, "Not yet you aren't. You hair wet and your face is all…grimy." She held my chin in between her fingers. "Yes…you're not nearly ready at all, tsk! And we only have a few minutes. I'll have to use some chakra." She muttered quietly.

I paled, "You'll have to use what?" Chakra wasn't some kind of creepy torture device was it? Or maybe it was some kind of supernatural voodoo. Whatever it was, it didn't sound very pleasant.

She motioned for me to be quiet and then held out her left hand, extending her middle finger and index finger upwards while the rest were folded down. Her eyes shut close and an indent formed around her eyebrows and nose, showing her concentration. "Kurīn!" she whispered, her eyes now flashing open.

At that moment the air shuddered around me and suddenly whooshed around my face and hair. The warm air rested upon my face and then was gone almost as soon as it had been there. Hinata nodded in satisfaction as she saw her handiwork. "You really are very pretty." She complimented me.

"Er…thanks." Hinata took me by the shoulders and directed me to a mirror. And then I saw what her magic had done. My hair had gone from its wet strands to full curls and my face had been cleaned of the sand and was now radiant. I kept poking my cheeks and touching my hair to make sure it was real.

Hinata giggled, "Lady Sakura, rest assured, it is real."

"What did you do?" I asked, amazed by it all.

"Chakra." She responded simply. "It's really only a simple manipulation of the elements around you. That was child's play. Hand signs are where it really gets complicated and deadly."

"Can everybody do that?" I wondered curiously.

"Well…everybody uses chakra in different ways. Witches use it in incantations, like I did earlier. Except handmaidens have a very limited amount of incantations they can use. Witches can do just about anything with one word. Gods use hand signs where they have complete control over their latent talent. When handmaidens use chakra, they're really only borrowing from a god's element. So they can't do anything very powerful." She explained to me earnestly. "Another use of chakra is shifting!"

"Shifting?" I echoed.

"Shifting is a very rare form of chakra use and takes years to master. And by years I mean centuries. It's when you're able to immerse your entire body in chakra and mutate your cells so that they can shift into any creature you would like. A lot of people don't attempt it because the inexperienced often encounter unfortunate accidents. Of course, gods have their symbolic animal that they can transform into but that's nothing compared to shifting." She spouted out information and then managed to stop herself, "But that's enough about the supernatural world. I really need to get you to Sasuke-san." She pulled at my hand anxiously.

I grumbled but realized that I actually wanted to see him again. And that freaked me out a bit. Just a little bit. Huh. I couldn't believe it. I actually wanted to see that jerk. I mused that thought for a bit and then came back to reality where Hinata was looking at me impatiently. "Let's go!" she stressed.

I nodded and followed in her footsteps as she strode out of my room and back on the main staircase. My bare feet padded against the velvet carpet as I struggled to keep up with her nimble movements. We traveled up a few more flights until we reached a floor that was completely black in every aspect. Black tiled floors, painted black walls with dark gray paintings hanging under dim lights. There was only one set of doors that were also a black sheen. The odd thing however was that there were two little goblin-like creatures sitting casually at the front of the doors. I approached cautiously while Hinata seemed unfazed by their presence.

The goblins nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Their wrinkled faces upturned into a grin as they caught sight of me, "_So this is the girl, why she's a fine pearl, please, give us a twirl_!" They spoke in unison, and the rhythm of their voices was almost hypnotizing.

Hinata curtsied, "Yes, this is her. Lord Sasuke has requested her presence."

"_Not to quick! Answer the trick!"_ They giggled in their high-pitched voices.

Hinata's frown deepened, "Always hate this." She muttered under her breath.

The glee was evident on their faces and they clapped their hands together, their fat lips opened as they began to sing a tune:

"_Four men sat down to play,_

_They played all night 'till break of day._

_They played for gold and not for fun_

_With separate scores for everyone._

_When they came to square accounts,_

_They all had made quite fair amounts._

_Can you the paradox explain?_

_If no one lost, how could all gain?"_

And I understood who the goblins were. They were like doorkeepers to Sasuke's chamber or throne room! They presented us with a riddle and if we could solve it they would let us pass-what a clever idea. I smirked as the answer came easily to me. As a child my father often presented riddles to me as a little game between us. I had grown to think methodically. Feeling quite confident I smiled,

"Music. They were playing music." I answered. "They sat down to play their instruments, and the separate scores were the music scores. They couldn't lose any money because they weren't gambling."

The goblin's eyes lit up, "_Well done well done, another one?"_

Hinata shook her head, "She answered the riddle. That grants us passage!" she protested.

His wrinkle face frowned, "Very well, time will tell, till we meet my belle." The last sentence was uttered so quietly and he moved away and the doors opened with a quiet creak.

It was pitch black and Hinata took me by the arm and led me down a passage while I stumbled over my dress. "Where are the lights?" I whispered fiercely.

Hinata murmured, "Karu!" Instantly a flicker of light appeared in front of us and it illuminated the passageway where at the end was another door.

I groaned, "Please don't tell me there's another goblin waiting for us down there."

Giggling, Hinata shook her head. They reached the end of the passage and Hinata knocked cautiously on the door, "Sasuke-san, its Hinata with Sakura-san."

"Yeah…come in." his low voice reverberated through the entire passageway sending tingles down my spine.

"Sasuke, you didn't tell me she was coming! How could you?" A female voice demanded. It sounded like a scolding authoritative figure and less of a jealous girlfriend which was good for me, hopefully.

I heard his exasperated sigh, "I didn't expect you to be here. You're supposed to be at the Emperor's Palace." He answered wearily.

Hinata instantly stiffened and she turned to me, "Do not anger the woman in the room." She hissed quietly. "Got it?" I nodded in understanding and then Hinata pushed the door open.

Bright light flooded my vision as we stepped into a library of some sort. There were shelves of books lined across the walls and painting canvases set up everywhere. Some had been left to dry while some canvases had but a single stroke of color. The floor was scarlet carpeting with gold edges. A modest chandelier hung from the ceiling and torches were also placed next to the wooden door.

I then finally noticed Sasuke standing with an expression of frustration and interest. He wore the same clothes from earlier but also had on a black cloak over his robes. I immediately felt myself go self-conscious and tried to stand up straighter. And then I noticed the female next to him. She was a tall elegant woman with raven dark hair piled up into a bun. Her robes were a majestic azure and she carried herself so confidently. She stared at me with interested onyx eyes and her full lips pursed together, her expression, unreadable.

Hinata broke the silence with her trademark curtsy, "M'lady, I did not expect your presence here. I trust your trip was pleasant?" She enquired pleasantly.

The lady smiled radiantly, "Yes, of course it was. Thank you, Hinata. But who is this lovely mortal before us?" her head cocked to the side as she stared at me.

I swallowed hard, _please don't kill me._ Stepping forward I mimicked Hinata's curtsy, "My name is Sakura Haruno." I bent my head down and then looked back up to her amused eyes. "And who might you be?"

Hinata twitched besides me and I knew that that wasn't the correct thing to say. Well, too late now. I grit my teeth together and held my composure. Tension filled the air and then I was thrown off as she grinned, her eyes lighting up, "You're perfect!" she exclaimed and then rushed forward to examine me. She held a tendril of my hair and admired it, "Very nice hair." She murmured. And then she encircled my waist with her hands, "A slim waist." I blushed as she did so and I saw Sasuke go red with either anger or embarrassment. But the woman took no notice and continued her critique. "Yes, yes." She muttered. "Very perfect indeed, my son is so fortunate to have you!" she cooed sweetly.

I choked, "Y-your son?" I turned to Sasuke bewildered, "She's your mother?" I mouthed to him.

Sasuke sighed and nodded, "Unfortunately." He replied.

The lady turned to Sasuke, "Watch your mouth, young man!" she commanded. I shot a smirk at him to which he responded with a smoldering glare. His mother turned back to me with a smile, "But, yes I am that ungrateful child's mother. Heavens, I don't look very old to you, do I?" she touched her face with worry.

"Oh! No…" I replied hastily. "In fact, you look more like his older sister." This was true. I would I have never guessed that she was his mother. Her skin was smooth and taut and her hair was lustrous and thick. The only giveaway was her eyes which were a bit dulled with age and experience in life.

She chuckled, "That's very kind of you. Gods, I haven't properly introduced myself! My name is Mikoto Uchiha, but do call me mother!"

Sasuke groaned, "Mom, we're not even married. And she's a…mortal."

"Sasuke!" his mother reprimanded him sharply, "I did not raise you to be a prejudiced ignorant!"

I glared at him and then turned back to Mikoto. "Well, if you insist, mother." I replied sweetly. I took pleasure in seeing Sasuke's face turn a shade darker.

Mikoto's eyes lit up with satisfaction, "That sounds so perfect. I've always wanted a daughter you see! But I got this boy and Itachi." He had a brother? I wondered curiously if he had Sasuke's good looks as well.

"And now you had to bring up that bastard as well…" he murmured darkly.

Mikoto ignored her son's complaints and turned back to me. "Anyways, I would love to get to know you more, well you will be here for the rest of eternity so I suggest you make yourself comfortable!" she announced cheerily.

I blanched, "I-I thought Sasuke was going to send me back-you know, as soon as possible?" I asked weakly. For all eternity? In this place?

She shook her head, "Nonsense! I won't turn you away! Fate has decreed you and Sasuke be together. That means you WILL be together." She nodded firmly. "In fact, I have arranged for your things to be put in Sasuke's room. I think it'll be good for you and Sasuke to spend some time together."

"Oh yes-WHAT?" I nearly yelled. "You mean like sleeping together?" My face was scarlet as that thought settled in my head, "But we just met? Don't you think you're being a BIT too hasty?"

Sasuke also straightened up and tried to protest, "Mom. You didn't discuss any of this. ZERO. ZILCH." I could tell he was unnerved at the thought as well.

Mikoto sighed, "Calm down you too! I'm not demanding you have sex. Well, right away." She winked at me and I nearly gagged. "But I'm saying you need to be in the same room." She explained patiently.

I calmed down a bit after hearing that, "That's better." I agreed. "So will they set up like, a futon for me or something?" I enquired.

Mikoto threw her head back in laughter; I swear tears were coming out of her eyes. "Don't be silly, dear! You will have to sleep in the same bed! That's the tradition for bonding!" She exclaimed this as if it was the most logical thing.

But it wasn't. Because sleeping with Sasuke Uchiha the first day you meet him is not a logical thing to do.

* * *

><p>AN: hello :) hope you guys had a lovely day and found this enjoyable! Thanks to ALL of you reviewed, favorited and story alerted! Means freaking A LOT! So please review again! If you review, you have a chance to get a sneak peek of the next chapter! OOOHHHHH…a reward! So yeah…please do this for me HAHA :)

-WRITER4EVERR


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Oh, Lordy.

After that awkward moment, I had tried to avoid Sasuke for the rest of the day which proved to be a lot easier than I had thought. The palace was grand and had many floors to which was easy to hide from an angry Water God. Hinata accompanied me throughout my one-sided game of hide-and-seek. She flitted around me; occasionally telling me not to enter a passageway here and there and then guiding me safely down the confusing flights of stairs,

At one point while meandering throughout the 17th floor I questioned curiously, "Who is Mikoto Uchiha, exactly?"

Hinata answered almost too eagerly. The thing was, Hinata was rather shy but she warmed up to me very quickly and was excited to be showing me around and share information. "Oh! Well, she is only the most feared goddess of the land. She's very powerful and a talented chakra user. Mikoto Uchiha, she's better known as _Shi no Megami__, _Goddess of Death."

A chill ran down my spine and I paled, "Are you serious? That nice woman?" I asked in disbelief.

Hinata shook her head at me, "Just because she's the Goddess of Death does not mean she has to be cruel. Rather, she has to be kind and merciful for those who have outlived their life. She has to have the heart to send people to their afterlives."

I frowned, I guess that made sense. "But she doesn't have a very good relationship with Sasuke, does she?" I pointed out.

Hinata smiled wryly, "It does seem that way, doesn't it? In truth, they are very close to each other. They just do not like to show it publicly, or rather, Sasuke doesn't like to show it. He's very fond of his mother." She blushed. "It's just they have rather different views on…ahem…mortals." She turned a darker shade. My face contorted and she added hastily, "Sasuke-san doesn't hate mortals. Rather, his brother affiliated with a mortal and he was cast out of society for it. It cast shame upon the Uchiha name and Sasuke was reprimanded by his brother-"

I cut in, "But he didn't do anything!" I protested. "Isn't that a bit unfair?"

Hinata sighed, "Yes, well, Kiritsu no Kami lives up to his name as the God of Discipline and Inner Strength. He is very strict with Sasuke ever since Itachi had left and done his own thing. You see why Sasuke is so hesitant to be happy about his bonding?" She peered at me with blue eyes.

I felt a pang of guilt as I realized his situation. Crap, now I had to apologize to him and probably beg profusely for his forgiveness. I nodded and I continued walking on silently.

I was content to just walk around for the time being but inevitably the hour of hell came around. It was 10 o' clock. At Night. This only meant one thing.

Bedtime.

I was slowly dying on the inside because it wasn't as simple as moving away as far away as I could and staying frozen on the pillow until morning. I slept walked and I moved around incessantly. So much that my parents had gotten me my own mattress just because everybody hated sleeping next to me. But I wasn't home, and I was going to be in a god's bed.

Hinata guided me to a shower where she bathed me in a relaxing hot spring but I was tense the entire time and kept looking around me cautiously. She tried to soothe me but it did nothing for my nerves.

Her eye twitched and then finally she withdrew an herb from her pocket and handed it to me. "Here, chew on one of the leaves." She instructed.

I nodded obligingly, and took a leaf warily and took it in my mouth. I chewed for a few seconds on the bitter taste and then swallowed it whole. It had no effect on my mentality whatsoever and if frowned, "What's it supposed to do?"

Hinata informed me impatiently, "It's supposed to relax your muscles, don't worry, you'll feel its effects soon enough. It's called the Nemuru Leaf. It's only grown in Water Country." She informed me in a matter-of-fact way.

I nodded trying to be interested but waaay too flustered to even pretend to be. I felt numb as she dressed me in lighter robes which we're supposedly my pajamas and she rushed me along until I came face to face with Sasuke's quarters.

I gulped loudly and Hinata placed a hand on my back, "It'll be alright." She whispered. "Really, Sasuke isn't that bad at all." She smiled reassuringly.

I shivered and then inhaled deeply. I opened the door with a creak and just as before, Hinata left me as she wasn't allowed inside. The door slammed shut with a creak and I observed the room cautiously.

It was a wide circular room with smooth walls and wooden floors. Bright lamps hung from the ceiling and torches guarded the double doors. There was a huge king sized bed with the same satin sheets and oversize comforter. I nearly fainted as I saw the bed and tried to steady myself. Oh, god…This wasn't happening….

"Hey." Hot breath blew on to my neck and instinctively I, elbowed the person behind me. I whirled around with my arm raised, about ready to hit my attacker when somebody snatched my wrist. "What the hell are you doing?" A low voice hissed.

Surprised, I looked up only to see Sasuke. I let out a huge sigh of relief and then it was quickly replaced with dread. I glared at him and dropped my hand, "Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" I half-growled.

He smirked, "Maybe you need to be a little more observant. I was here. You were just too busy ogling the bed to notice me." His handsome features were back to his regular playful attitude.

I blushed scarlet, "It's not what it looks like!" I protested defensively. "It's not like I want to sleep with you or anything." I muttered.

"But, you have too."

"I know." I sighed in defeat. And then I perked up, "But let's get this straight, I call the right side of the bed!" I crossed my arms like a little bratty toddler.

He merely chuckled, and nodded. "Go ahead." He gestured for me to get into the bed and I followed, lifting up the blanket precariously and then sliding onto the smooth sheets. I expected him to go onto the left side but he merely stood over me, staring at my face for the longest time.

Instead of being embarrassed by his gaze, I felt irritated. I was tired and there was no way I was going to sleep with his insanely good-looking face hanging above me.

"What are you doing? Are you going to tuck me in to bed or something?" I asked with an amused grin on my face.

He shook his head and turned around to go on the other side of the bed; I heard him murmur something indistinctly but didn't quite catch it. I shrugged. _Whatever, if he wanted to be all dark and mysterious then __that was his choice._

I heard him whisper, "Ofu!" and the lights switched off. I wondered if it was another one of those chakra spells and assumed it was. The sheets rustled as he got in and immediately I started feeling the anxiety. Whatever that relaxing leaf was, it had no damn effect whatsoever.

And then, I started rolling around.

Roll to the left. Roll to the right. Arms and feet out like a starfish. And then in like a fetus. Out again and then another roll to the right. And then another roll to the right for good measure.

"Are you serious?" I heard him mutter into his pillow? "Why are you so…so…twitchy?" he asked annoyed.

I whispered fiercely back, "I'm sorry! I have bad sleeping habits!"

"I can see that."

Silence. Roll to the left. Arms and feet out like a starfish. Roll head back and forth.

"Sa-ku-ra. Sasuke's low voice rang out in the air like a death threat. "I'm literally just about ready to call for a handmaid and get you some Nemuru." He groaned.

I sighed in frustration, "I already took it. My muscles feel anything but relaxed!"

His voice was puzzled, "Are you sure? Nemuru makes a mortal's bones feel like jelly. You should be feeling really calm right now…" He actually mused over it and my irritation grew.

"Yes. I'm sure! Does it sound like my muscles feel like jelly? I've been rolling around for the past few minutes if you haven't noticed!" I nearly yelled.

His voice was muffled and tired now. "Whatever…just try to keep still." He offered lamely. Really? Was that his advice? Try to keep still? Did he think I was just doing this for fun? That jerk.

I really did try to stop my rolling around. But it began again and the sheets rustled loudly as I moved around. I just couldn't get comfortable and because of that my body was trying out 700 positions to try to find that spot where I could be relaxed.

He let out a low growl from his place and then I heard him move and then suddenly, warm arms encircled my waist. I jerked at his touch, "Eh?" I was pretty sure I was red but thank gods it was dark. His hold tightened, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. It actually felt…relaxing.

"If you can't make yourself stop rolling around," His chest vibrated with his low voice. "This should help." He bent down so that his chin was near my forehead, "This doesn't mean anything." He reminded me crossly.

I nodded in agreement, "Nothing at all. It's mutually beneficial." I replied with a yawn. Involuntarily, I let out a content sigh, my body starting to relax and lull itself to sleep.

"Night." I murmured drowsily and promptly fell asleep before I heard his response.

* * *

><p>In the morning, I woke up better than I had ever felt before…and still in his arms. This reminded me that last night had not been a figment of my overeactive imagination. I contemplated, getting out of his grasp but then decided not to. It wasn't really that bad. Besides it was just for a little bit-and it didn't mean anything.<p>

I was about to fall back to sleep again when I heard the door crack open, just in time to see Ino standing there with a shocked expression on her face.

"Oh my freaking God, Sakura?" she shrieked in horror. Shikamaru popped up behind her and viewed me, in Sasuke's arms who was now stirring awake.

He shrugged lazily, "You certainly do move fast."

My voice struggled to get out of my mouth and defend the position I was in. It hadn't even been 24 hours and people now thought I had slept with Sasuke. Great, just great.

* * *

><p>AN: OH GAWSH. It's really short. Like super super short. I know…I'm sorry! But hey, I just whipped this one out to say that I have not neglected this story. I still love it very much and I am sorry I have not updated as frequently as I would have like to.

Thank you to ALLL who reviewed, story alerted, and favorite. Means a lot but you know me, I just can't get enough of reviews.

SO PLEASE REVIEW :)

THANKS,

WRITER4EVERR


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Awkward Breakfasts**

I got up hastily and untangled myself from Sasuke's limbs and the sheets. Holding up my hands defensively, I tried to explain myself. "This isn't what it looks like. We were just sleeping together!"

Ino smirked, "So it is what it looks like." She announced haughtily.

I blushed, "No! What I meant was that we weren't well, doing anything…" I blathered on. "Really, Sasuke, help me out here!" I hissed out.

Sasuke sat up groggily he was now rubbing at his eyes with an irritated expression painted across his handsome features. He glared at the blonde witch but was silent. But at the corner of my eye, I saw the wash basin on the bedside table start to shake and tremble. The bowl exploded and shattered into pieces, the water spraying directly into Ino's face.

She spluttered angrily, as the water soaked through her hair. Behind her, Shikamaru let out a rare grin and shot thumbs up in Sasuke's direction. I merely stood there, my mouth agape as I observed what just happened. Had he just manipulated that water?

He stood up adjusting his night blue robes and spoke in a low tone, his voice rough with sleep. "Maybe that'll teach you to knock, Ino."

He threw her a wash cloth but she disregarded it and instead growled out the word, "Kurumi!" A soft whooshing sound came as her hair and face was suddenly dry. I recognized it as the spell Hinata had used earlier on me to clean off the sand.

Ino bit back at Sasuke, "I forget you're not a morning person." Shrugging, she continued in her arrogant demeanor, "So what if I barged in? It's your fault for not locking the door. Perhaps you were a bit preoccupied, eh?" she smirked at me.

Crossing my arms I protested, "I told you! We didn't do anything!"

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side, "So then what happened?"

"My mother happened." Sasuke replied simply. "She wants me and Sakura to 'get to know each other'."

Ino smiled sweetly, "Aww…what a mama's boy, honoring your mother's wishes. I see you guys got to know each other pretty well."

I muttered under my breath, "I just couldn't sleep last night and he was just helping me relax."

Shikamaru shook his head, "You know, that just makes it sound worse, right?" Sasuke threw him a withering glance and made a face.

Ino let out a sigh of disappointment, "Whatever, it's pretty apparent, they didn't do anything. So boring." Yawning, she pulled on her obi. "It's time for breakfast by the way."

My stomach let out an involuntary grumble. I was practically salivating at the word 'breakfast'. Sasuke let out a wry chuckle. "Ino take her downstairs to eat. I'll be there in a second. I need to talk to Shikamaru for a bit." He nodded mysteriously.

Ino curtsied, "Of course." She seemed to assume a more serious attitude and took me by the arm while she left Shikamaru and Sasuke to talk.

I glanced backwards, "What was that about?" We were now going down the flight of stairs, down to the first floor it seemed.

Ino shrugged, her blonde hair swaying from side to side. "Who knows? Probably something about the banquet tomorrow. Everybody is getting ready for it, speaking of which, you'll have to get ready as well."

"What is this banquet?" I asked quizzically.

Ino looked at me as if wanting to burst out laughing, but then she sobered up quickly. "That's right. I forgot you just got here. And you will be staying here for quite a while."

I interrupted her, "Something I am not looking forward to."

The witch scowled, "Oh come on! It's not that bad. And anyways there is a way to send you back despite your bond. However it is tricky…" she mused.

My interest was sparked and my heart leapt, "There's a way?" I asked eagerly.

She frowned, "Now. Don't get too excited. I told you it's tricky and life threatening seeing how fragile you mortals are." She hurried down the steps and I followed closely behind her. "Enough about this though. Don't bring it up." She muttered out and I nodded in compliance, however my mind was still focused on getting back.

She led me down a brightly lit hallway with a blue tiled floor and sea green wallpaper. On the wall hung gold framed paintings of shells and coral. "This is the main dining hall. Every time we have a special guest or party, we eat here." She explained.

"I'm guessing the guest of honor is Sasuke's mom."

We then came to the dining hall double door and again, I saw the two goblin creatures sitting by the side on their stools. I frowned, "They're everywhere." I muttered. My mind was still foggy with sleep and I didn't know if I was in the mood for a riddle.

Ino growled, "Tell me about it. I don't know what Sasuke was thinking when he got these goblins. Their riddles are not something I am fond of." Her lip curled in distaste and she walked up to approach them.

The first goblin and stepped up with his beady eyes, _"From sleep they come, to have a crumb!"_ He bowed in respect and Ino bowed as well though disdain was clear in her eyes.

She let out a growl, "Oh get on with it!"

The first goblin gestured to the second and began to hum under his breath. The second goblin nodded his sharp chin and opened his mouth and began in a folk tune:

"_It can't be seen, It can't be smelt,  
>It can't be heard, It can't be felt.<br>It hides behind stars and under hills;  
>Empty holes It fills.<br>It comes before and ends after,  
>Ends life, kills laughter."<em>

I knew the answer almost immediately but glanced at Ino. She was tapping at her chin and then she straightened up as the answer came to her.

Ino's eyes glimmered and she smirked, "I got this one. Its darkness, right?" she answered with a lazy shrug. It reminded me of Shikamaru as she did so.

The goblin gave her a toothy smile, "_That's it! What wit!_" They tapped at the door and a clicking sound was heard as the door creaked open.

Ino walked through hurriedly and I followed her closely. The aroma and smells of breakfast instantly hit my nose and my stomach let another ferocious grumble. She looked back at me with a cocked eyebrow but didn't say anything.

The hallway led into a terrace with strange, exotic flowers blooming on the trellis and on the balcony edge. There was a single round table in the middle with a dozen chairs spaced evenly around it. The wind blew quite mildly providing a fresh breeze and the sun warmed the atmosphere giving the perfect temperature.

Mikoto was seated to the right with a dainty little teacup in one hand and a book in the other. She was deeply engrossed in its contents and did not hear us approach. Naruto sat, slurping his bowl of ramen while speaking with Hinata who stood dutiful at his side. A man who I didn't recognize sat across from Naruto, picking disgustedly at a piece of bread while speaking to a woman whom I also did not recognize.

She had bright eyes that narrowed dangerously every once and a while and she spoke quite animatedly. Her hair was parted and piled into two buns atop her head. Her robes were a scarlet red and she had a golden dragon patterned obi. She paused momentarily at our entrance and her gaze flickered upwards. I half-expected her to say something but she just returned to her conversation with the man. He had long brown hair and pale pupiless eyes that stared blankly at me.

Not that I really minded because Naruto began to greet me, "Sakura-chan! What would you like to eat?" he gestured for me to sit and I did so right next to Mikoto whose eyes lit up as she saw me. Ino in turn, took a seat next to the mystery woman. Ino murmured a quiet greeting and pulled a roll out of the bread basket.

I was about to do the same but found myself pulled by Mikoto's fingers. "Sakura darling how was your first night with Sasuke-kun?" she gushed. "I hope he wasn't too bad of a sleeping partner. He used to have terrible sleeping habits; he didn't keep you up did he?" she asked anxiously.

I coughed, "Uh, no. Rather, I think I was the one that kept him up with my restlessness. That's why I don't think this sleeping arrangement will work out. I'll return back to my own room so I don't burden your son." _Please, please say 'okay'._ I prayed.

"Nonsense, my dear, that's absolutely ridiculous!" She shook her head with a frown on her face.

I tried to protest but Ino cut in with a sly smirk upon her face. "You're right Mikoto-san! And based on what I've seen they work things out. Did you know they were in each other's arms when I came in?" The mystery woman grinned at Ino's words and she let out a light laugh.

"How wonderful!" She exclaimed. "Fate has always been right, but you two are just so perfect for each other! Did you consummate your bonding?" she asked eagerly.

I lept up from my place, my cheeks were now a blotchy red from embarrassment. "That's a little too hasty don't you think? I mean, I didn't even know it happened until I woke up." I fibbed.

The brown-haired woman laughed, "Sasuke's a pervert!" she sang out. "He hugged you while a poor defenseless mortal girl was sleeping!"

Mikoto's eyes lit up as she heard her speak, as if she had just remembered that she was there. "Oh! I forgot to introduce our guests to each other! Silly me…" She got up to stand over by the two that I did not recognize and first pointed to the woman.

"This is Tenten, my dear Sasuke's childhood friend. They used to always play together and get me mad when they came home covered with dirt." She recalled affectionately. "Of course now that was ages ago. They reached maturation at 19, which is quite a while ago. Now she's gone and grown up and become the _Hogo no Megami_. That's the Goddess of Protection and Defense."

Tenten made a face; "You make me sound like a hag Mikoto-san!" she smiled though and kissed the woman's face as a daughter would to her mother.

I wondered aloud, "What's maturation?"

Hinata smiled, "Maturation is the age at which a god stops aging. It often occurs in the late 20s but it is different for everybody. Some never stop aging and some reach maturation at the age of 8."

Mikoto nodded, "Yes, and this is Neji Hyuuga. He is Hinata's cousin; maybe you can see some resemblance?" I took a quick glance and didn't even have to look long to see it. "He is the _Shiryoku no kami_or the God of Foresight. He and Tenten are bound together as you can see, they're quite close. You and Sasuke will be just like them in no time!" she announced cheerily.

I tried to keep my face solemn but it was hard. I didn't want to stay here forever with strangers. It wouldn't be bad but I was still so uneasy. I was in a strange world and had a home somewhere. And then the thought struck me, my village! "Mikoto-san!" clasped her arm urgently. "The reason I came here was to convince Sasuke to send down water. There are people down there dying and I was just hoping that you would send down rain, please to calm my fears that my parents will be alright while I stay here." I pleaded with her.

The woman smiled benevolently, "Of course, Sakura-chan." She let out a sigh, "Although that's my son's power, I do have some power. I do apologize. Sasuke was in a foul mood earlier and has neglected his duties as the Water God. I'll make sure your family is safe. You are rather uneasy being here but I do hope this calms your nerves." She gestured for Hinata to come to her side and whispered into her ear. Hinata nodded promptly and left in a rush.

Tenten looked at me curiously, "You are living in the land of Gods yet you still have your mortal ties?"

I was taken aback at her question, "Well, yeah. I mean it's only my first day, you can't expect me to adapt so quickly, do you?" my eyebrows rose. A maid came forward and placed a cup of hot tea in front of me. I took it quickly and gulped it down in a matter of seconds. I needed to avoid Tenten's piercing gaze.

Neji spoke for the first time, "Your future, though is not with mortals." He quipped.

My eyes narrowed. He was the God of Foresight so maybe he did know a thing or two about how my life was going to end up. I couldn't really argue against something of the supernatural. However it ticked me off about all this talk about fate. I mean, the future could always change, right?

He seemed to read my mind, "The path that you are headed right now, though, is not with mortals. I see where you are headed, not where you will eventually end up." He shrugged and continued eating.

My lip curled but then I a low voice came, "Save it." The familiar husky voice made me jerk in my seat.

I turned around to face Sasuke and I smiled warily, "So you finally decided to show up." I tossed him a roll and he caught it expertly. "While you were gone, Ino decided to inform your mom of our sleeping position." I glared at him and he glared back with his smoldering onyx eyes.

"It's your fault." He snapped. "I'm not the one who had spasms every second."

Mikoto squealed with glee and clapped her hands together. I looked over apprehensively; this was the goddess of death? "Oh my! You two are just like a married couple!" she sighed happily.

Tenten snorted, "This is your idea of a happily married couple?" she stood up hurriedly and pulled on Ino's arm, "Let's go Ino-chan."

Mikoto tilted her head to the side, "Where are you two headed?"

Sasuke spoke up, "I put them in charge of the preparations for the banquet." He chewed carefully. "So they need to get started since they don't have much time."

Ino laughed, "Oh come on, Sasuke, stop being so pessimistic. We'll get it done in no time. We got chakra, remember?" she gave a sly smile to Tenten. They turned to leave but Mikoto stopped them.

"Wait a second, girls. Why don't you take Sakura with you?"

I almost choked, "Wh-what?" I looked frantically at Sasuke who just shrugged. "I really think you should leave it to the pros." I suggested.

Tenten lifted one eyebrow, "You know, Mikoto-san, now that you mention it, why not? Let's get new girl involved." She said it in a musing tone and looked me up and down. "What do you say, feeling creative today?" she put out her hand encouragingly.

I hesitated and looked at Mikoto who nodded encouragingly. Oh, screw it. "Sure." I blurted out. "Let's go." I walked over to Tenten and Ino who stood waiting and Sasuke leaned back to chuckle.

"Don't mess things up, Sakura." He ran a hand through his hair and smirked at me.

Ino's eyes narrowed, "Furikku!" she hissed out. Sasuke recoiled as an invisible burst of energy hit his arm and made it snap back. He growled and snapped his arm back in place with an audible crack. She smirked in satisfaction, "That's for drenching me earlier and being a grouchy morning person." She smiled sweetly and turned to me, "I got your back, Sakura."

I blinked and smiled weakly. Note to self: never piss off anybody here. Ino nodded, "Well let's move on, shall we? Time to get some décor done."

Tenten giggled and pushed me along, "We're going to have so much fun together." She grinned wickedly.

Ino swept her blonde hair to one side and winked at me, "Tons and tons of fun." She agreed with a mischievous smile.

**A/N: can't write a really long author's note because I'm in a rush but thank you so much for all you reviewed and alerted and favorited, means A LOT as usual. :) Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'm hoping to have chapter 6 out by next week!  
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**WRITER4EVERR**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Teaspoonful of Poison Makes the Medicine go Down

The two ladies hastened me down another dark corridor after we exited from the dining hall. There seemed to be no end to all the hallways and doors in this palace the thought of me getting lost seemed very probable.

I tried to slow down but they just quickened their pace, "So where is this banquet going to be held?"

"In the Emerald Ball Room." Tenten explained shortly. She glanced back at me and frowned, "Will you hurry up?"

I grumbled but moved my legs along faster. "Alright, alright! Can somebody at least explain to me what this banquet is?"

Tenten let out an exasperated sigh, "Ino was right. You do ask a lot of questions."

"That's not answering my question." I rebutted impatiently.

Ino examined her nails, "Tell her. I'm tired of talking and explaining. I'm not some tour guide."

Tenten patiently explained to me, "Look, listen because I'm not explaining this again. The banquet is a gathering of all the gods and goddesses. They are held in a different place every year. This year, Sasuke has been chosen to host the banquet. It's basically a whole get-together where goddesses can gossip, gods can boast about their latest achievements and…they make fun of humans." She glanced at me carefully, "However, not all of us participate in those nonsensical things." She hastily added. There's food, of course but the main event is the arrival of the emperor and empress. They give an account of last year's achievements and set rules for the coming year." She gave me a reassuring look. "Don't worry about the emperor and empress liking you. They're very kind to mortals. They are the first ever in their line of royalty to have that attitude. Empress Tsunade and Emperor Jiraiya are very kind." She nodded.

I understood, "So what do they rule over?"

Tenten shrugged, "To be honest, nobody knows the full extent of the Emperor's powers. It's understood that he's all powerful and whatever. His official title is _Chikara no Kami._ The Empress on the other hand is Goddess of the Earth or _Daichi no Megami._ Don't mess with her, she's well known for her short temper but she's a very fair leader. Emperor Jiraiya is something of a womanizer." She chuckled, "But he loves his wife and people very much. "

My eyebrow rose, "Huh. Quite the characters." I commented.

Ino giggled, "You have no idea! One time Lord Jiraiya got so drunk on wine that he nearly passed out on another goddess's chest. He swears he didn't do it on purpose but Lady Tsunade was as pissed as hell!" she chattered excitedly. It seemed the only information she had no qualms about giving out was gossip.

Tenten nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Let's get on. Sasuke told us to hurry, remember?"

Ino made an annoyed expression but turned a corner and continued walking until we came upon an isolated hallway with only one door whose height reached the top of the ceiling. The door was an opaque emerald and there were a gold dragon on each side of the double doors. Tenten gestured to the doors. "You first."

I paused, "What, no goblins?" I asked dryly.

Ino snickered, "Of course not. This one has a much greater security system."

She placed her finger tip on the eye of the dragon and the eye gleamed a dark red ruby and the doors swung open. "It responds to our natural chakra." She explained.

We walked in quickly and immediately we were greeted by a rush of servants who were carrying various plants and silk curtains, there was a loud clamor and everybody was calling, "Lady Ino! Lady Tenten! Hogo no Megami!" The noise was becoming overwhelming until I noticed Tenten began to look pissed.

"SHUT UP!" her voice echoed through the room. Silence came immediately and everybody's mouth clamped shut.

Tenten's head tilted to the side, "Thank you. As you can see we will be joined by Sakura-san. Some of you might know her as Sasuke-san's bride." Murmuring followed and a few people pointed at me. "IF, my ears ever pick up the word 'mortal' or '_yogoreta__' _you will be sent to the Emperor's palace." The servants paled at her words and they nodded in compliance.

Ino chuckled throatily, "Now, we'll need everybody to leave and we'll be planning for half an hour. At half past 11, we need everybody to report back here. Understood?" They nodded and bowed their heads down as they shuffled out. Ino grabbed one of the servants, "Tell the kitchen to send up some tea." He nodded hastily and moved on, eager to escape her hold.

My eyebrow rose, "Wow. That was…authoritative."

"Thanks." She replied shortly. "Anyways, what color should we have the curtains. I was thinking an eggshell white but then maybe the cream white would be better." She frowned as if in deep thought.

"Really?" I asked dryly. "Eggshell white and cream white? That's a tough one. What about snow white?" I snickered at my own joke.

"Sakura, this is of the utmost importance." Ino informed me impatiently.

Tenten cut in, "We'll do the curtains last. We need to decide on the menu first. Remember last year when Lady Temari nearly choked on the Haricot Vert Salad? The damned pine nuts got clogged in her air pipes. Lord Gaara wasn't too pleased about that. I'm not going to have something embarrass me like that."

Ino glared at the memory, "Well if Temari didn't suck up her food like an elephant would that wouldn't have been a problem, now would it?"

I made a face as an image popped up in my head of an elephant eating a Haricot Vert Salad. "You organized last year's banquet too? Do you normally stay at Sasuke's palace?" I enquired curiously.

Tenten shook her head, "Oh no. It's much too cold her for my liking. That's why I live near Naruto's palace more. I only come up here for big events and sometimes whenever I feel like. Got to keep Sasuke in check you know? Speaking of which, Ino told me you weren't pleased with your bonding." She glanced at me while rearranging the place mats on the silver tables.

I shrugged, "Well being a mortal here isn't exactly fun. And Sasuke hasn't exactly warmed up to me."

Ino giggled, "Does he warm up to anybody except for his teddy bear?" she chortled to Tenten, "Remember when we were little he used to have that teddy bear he named, Kuma? Oh my god…he wouldn't let us play with Kuma because he was so afraid we would steal it."

He had a teddy bear named Kuma? I made a mental note to make fun of him for that later. Tenten laughed, "Of course I do. I was the one who nearly popped Kuma's head off after I got so mad at Sasuke." She turned back to me, "Anyways, Sasuke's a good guy. He might seem a little cold at first but he means well. He's just a little cautious. He's never been good with girls and handling them. But, you know…" she trailed off.

"What?" I prompted.

"I think he likes you." She grinned and Ino nodded.

I blanched, "Wha? Come on…" I flushed deep red and shook my head furiously.

Ino put her hands on her hips, "Come on. I have never seen Sasuke hold anybody…at all. Even though he's like 200 years old he still thinks girls have cooties." She scoffed.

"It wasn't anything I'm telling y-"

A knock came at the door and I jumped. A voice came from the other side of the door, "Lady Ino, Lady Tenten, it is Amaya."

Ino waggled her finger at the door and the doors slammed open magically.

A girl around my age, perhaps a bit younger stood at the door. She had deep purple hair and striking silver eyes. The handmaiden came in gracefully and she had a small smile upon her face. However, the little lift of her lips unnerved me, something about it just plain creeped me out. In her hands she held a tray of 3 cups and as I was about to reach for one she stopped me politely. "Oh, Miss Sakura, allow me…" she placed the tray down on the glass table and began preparing the tea. She handed me a cup, "Here you go, drink up!" she laughed shakily.

What's up with you? I asked silently. I took the cup anyway and blew on it. Ino and Tenten also took their proffered cups and they seemed to disregard the handmaiden's strange behavior. Maybe this was normal of her? Shrugging I lifted the cup up to take a small sip of it and a drop of the hot liquid went down my parched throat, and then I felt a loud crash as my cup exploded into tiny pieces. One of them cut at my fingers and drops of blood slipped down my palm. "Oh!" I let out a gasp of exclamation and jumped backwards. The hot liquid burned my fingertips but most of it came splashing down as well.

I turned to Ino to see her looking furious, "Why did you do that?" I yelped.

Ino turned to me sharply and shook my shoulders, "Tell me you didn't drink any of that!" she demanded.

I stammered, "Yeah, I just drank a little bit of it, why?" I was puzzled.

Ino cursed and turned to Tenten, "Get her to the medics immediately!" Tenten pulled at my arm but I resisted it. What was happening? Ino continued in a rage, "I'll deal with this conniving little wretch!" she growled and turned to the handmaiden. "Hōfuku!" she hissed out angrily.

The handmaiden let out a sharp cry and she clutched at her throat writhing on the floor in pain and misery. She sobbed, "I'm sorry, Lady Ino! She didn't deserve him!" she wailed in anguish as the pain continued and she clawed at her throat, "Just make it stop!"

Ino's eyes narrowed, "You thought I wouldn't notice? If I hadn't noticed she would have consumed more and died, is that what you were hoping for? I'm a white witch; poisonous herbs are like a stink bomb. Especially the Mahi Herb, you were planning on rendering her incapable of movement and speech." Ino's eyes narrowed once more and the air became thick.

"Nngh! I apologize, Lady Ino!" She panted out with great difficulty. She bowed her head and tried to move towards Ino, begging for the witch to stop the pain. Her instability frightened me and I moved towards Ino.

I grabbed at Ino's sleeve, "Just stop torturing her! I feel fine." I insisted impatiently. The handmaiden's screams were still echoing in the hall.

That made Ino stop and turn to me in shock, "You should be on the floor writhing in pain. Why are you still standing?" she demanded as if I would know the answer. "Tenten why is she unhurt?" She tilted her head to the side. "You drank it didn't you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure of it, I was really thirsty so I recall the liquid going down my throat." I clarified. I was confused, why didn't the poison have an effect on me?

Tenten turned back to the handmaiden and she glared at the quivering girl, "You did use the Mahi herb, didn't you?"

She sniveled, "Y-yes, I did. I used copious amounts of it too. I just wanted her away from Sasuke. She doesn't deserve him, she's a filthy mortal!" she spat out spitefully.

My jaw dropped. This was about that smug jerk? She poisoned me because I bonded to him? Was this girl insane? Things like this only happened in super dramatic stories that were supposed to have been fiction! I interjected with a snarl, "Look, lady. I didn't mean to bond with him. It just happened. And second of all, he's not all that great." I held up my hands defensively, "Just sayin'"

She let out another screech of anger at my words and tried to rise up and claw at my face but the spell that Ino had on her was reactivated and she fell back on the floor screaming in agony. "I-I've been here for decades, always with him and serving him. And then you come in, a mortal, and you bond with him!" she snarled at me her eyes a violent red.

A feral snarl ripped out of Ino's throat which made my blood run cold. Ino's eyes were now a brilliant golden and fangs protruded from her supple lips. I was fascinated more than terrified at the sight. Her transformation wasn't vampish but more like a feline, like a tiger. Tenten rolled her eyes, unfazed at the sight.

"Stop being dramatic, will you?" she complained. Ino's fangs retracted and her eyes cooled back down to blue. She gave Tenten a smug smile and shrugged.

Tenten waved her hand in the girl's direction and immediately the screeches stopped but she was still in visible pain. She took my arm and rushed me out of the room, "Let's go to the medics, eh? We need to make sure you're fine, and why the poison was diluted." Her face was thoughtful.

I just followed her out of the banquet hall and as we turned the corner we bumped into Sasuke. He was breathless and he looked like had just sprinted over, he yanked me aside, his eyes boring into me. Was that concern in his eyes? "What happened?" he demanded.

I struggled to respond as I was taken by surprise, "I-uh-I. How did you know?" I asked.

He let out an exasperated sigh and held up his wrist, "We're bonded remember?" The crescent moon stood out on his pale skin. He moved back so that Tenten was standing in the middle of us.

Tenten laughed, "Oh calm down Sasu-kun!" she said cheerily. "It was nothing but a poison attempt. Thank god Sakura seems to be immune to it though." She shrugged as if was the most normal thing.

Sasuke glared at her, "How could you be so careless? Who tried to poison her? You know that whatever affects her will affect me." He then turned on me, "Are you okay? How is it that you're not hurt?"

"I-I don't know. I didn't even know I was poisoned." I admitted and looked down.

Tenten made a face, "Oh gods save me! Why is it that I'm standing in the middle of you two! The sexual tension between you two is suffocating." She pretended to gag.

I hit her arm and shot her a glare. Sasuke just shook his head as if he was used to these type of comments from her.

Tenten rolled her eyes, "Well thank god out of all the people you would bond to her! She seems to be immune to poisons. And perhaps she may be immune to medicinal herbs as well. We'll have to test her…." She trailed off in deep thought.

I stepped backwards, "I'm not some lab rat!" I protested.

He just sighed and ran his hand through his spiky hair. "Who tried to poison you again?"

Tenten cocked her head to the side and folded her arms, "Amaya. I keep telling you to send her away. I told you of her obsessive tendencies. But do you listen to me? No ! 'Oh Tenten stop being paranoid! You're just jealous!' "She imitated him and threw him a dirty look.

Sasuke let out a small grin, "You were jealous."

She scowled, "Anyways. Are you going to do anything about Amaya?"

"Yeah, send her to the Emperor's Palace." He decided.

I rose my eyebrows, "Isn't that a bit harsh?" I asked worriedly. "I mean it was only attempted poisoning."

"She's being sent there for probation. It's only temporary." He reassured me. "And shouldn't you be madder? She tried to poison you." He stated wryly.

I laughed, "Well, initially I was. But she was just jealous. And after Ino went all fang-mode on her and tortured her, I think she got enough punishment." I admitted.

His eyebrow rose, "Fang-mode? And what was Amaya jealous about?" he was confused.

I glared at him, "Apparently you're pretty popular around here."

Realization dawned and his mouth formed an 'O'. "Yeah, so technically it's your fault I got assaulted." I smiled sweetly. "Thanks sooo much."

He grabbed my wrist and murmured softly, "I'm sorry. I'll deal with her." He-did he apologize? My eyes bugged open and his regretful demeanor instantly vanished. "What?" he demanded, leaning in closer.

Flushing I tried to respond, "Nothing." It was one of those cheesy romantic movie scenes where a girl and boy are all alone and the girl is all flustered and the guy of her dreams is leaning in about to kiss her.

But there were three things wrong with this. One, Sasuke was not the guy of my dreams, he was just a really hot god that I somehow managed to get bonded too. Two, he was not going to kiss me. That would be weird…and immensely awkward. Three, we were not alone. I happened to glance to the side and there was Tenten right all up in our faces staring at us with her wide chocolate eyes with a bag of snacks in her hands. She was eating while watching us simultaneously like we were her entertainment. I pushed Sasuke away and he fell back.

"What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

Tenten smirked and started walking away, "Hey Sasuke take her to the medical center for me, will ya?"

"Wait! Where are you going?" he called in a pleading tone.

"You wanted me to work on the decorations right? I'm just doing what you told me to do, dear Sasuke-chan! Have fun you two!" the last sound I heard was her laugh echoing down the hall.

We sat in silence for a while and then he turned to stare at me.

And I stared back.

We just kept staring at each other, lost for any words to break the awkward tension.

The thought running through my head, _"There ain't any way in hell I'm losing THIS staring contest!"_

**A/N: THANK YOU one and ALLL for your reviews, alerts and favorites! You guys make me happy ^^ I like opening my inbox and seeing review alerts….heheheheheh. So, I updated this one SUPER QUICK, I'm very proud of myself teehee!**

**A reviewer was wondering how Sakura could breathe underwater and my dear, here is yer answer. They're not underwater! How awesome is that! So Sakura got to the supernatural world by means of magical water transport that took her to Sasuke's palace since he is the Water God. So if Sakura had wanted to go the Fire God's palace (Naruto's Palace) she would have to enter by being consumed by fire. Make some sense? No? Yes? Hope it did. The water is just a transport vehicle really to the supernatural world.**

**Another question was what the heck was Neji saying? Here is your answer. Neji is the God of Foresight. He told Sakura that he did not see any mortals in her future meaning that where she's headed right now is a life devoid of any human beings. However, the future can always change….(FORESHADOWING…much?)**

**Any questions just feel free to leave it in your review and I will answer it in my author's note. Any other questions that may not have to do with this story at all, I'LL STILL ANSWER IT. How freaking awesome is that?**

**REVIEWER OF THE WEEK/CHAPTER: arabmorgan….yeah you're pretty awesome, whoever you are. I'm really glad you liked the chapter :) Love that you like the humor and all of Mikoto's cringe-worthy antics LOLOL.**

**I just started to do this to show mah appreciation for all you reviewers. Could you be the next Reviewer of the week? Hmmmm…I don't know….you'll have to see.**

**Expect TONS of fluff next chapter. SASUSAKU fluff of course ;)**

**THANKS MUCH, **

**WRITER4EVERR**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Surprise Attack!

SASUKE P.O.V.

I had to admit. This girl really was something. Besides her bubblegum pink hair that is. She had a lot of nerve for a mortal and she was always had something to retort back. She was intriguing to say the least and I wasn't particularly averse to being bonded to her. It could have been worse. I could have bonded to a rabid fan girl and spend my life tending to her obsessions. But no, I had gotten Sakura Haruno. A mortal girl that was feisty and always liked to have her say.

I got up and extended a hand to help her up. "Here." I muttered. She grabbed it hesitantly and stood up with ease.

She glared at me, "Do you always have to look like there's something up your butt?" she demanded. "Usually when people help each other, they do it with a smile. Or they at least don't look like they're constipated." She informed me.

I tilted my head to the side, "Yeah? Well you always look like that too. Look at that, we have something in common." I retorted sourly.

Sakura made a face, her wide green eyes scrunched up together, "I'd be careful if I were you Uchiha." Her jade eyes suddenly lit up mischievously.

That was new, a mortal telling a god to be careful. I chuckled, 'What do you mean by that?"

She leaned in closely and I was taken aback by her forwardness, "I mean," she winked. "That I have dirt on you." She suddenly moved back and continued walking down the hallway nonchalantly.

My eyes narrowed, what the hell did that mean? And then realization dawned upon me. Tenten and Ino. Those little…I grabbed her arm to twist her around and she just stared at me blankly. "What did Tenten and Ino tell you?" I asked flatly.

She shrugged and wriggled out of my grasp, "Nothing really."

I was a little bit more than irritated now, "I'm serious Sakura! Whatever they told you was probably a lie." I tried to sound blasé but it failed. Even I heard my voice waver as I lied.

Sakura smirked, "Okay then. I guess they really did lie about your teddy bear Kuma, then." She mock sighed. "What a shame."

A part of me died inside when she uttered the word Kuma. Oh god. She knew about that raggedy stuff animal that used to be my play toy until Tenten brutally decapitated it. I guess my face gave it away because Sakura gasped and I instantly glared vowing to kill Tenten and Ino. "Oh My God. It's true!" she doubled over in laughter and struggled to stand up. "You! A stone faced god used to have a teddy bear!" she gasped out in laughter. And then she abruptly stopped and deadpanned. "Don't tell me you still have it."

"No!" I hissed out and grabbed her by the arm. "Enough about this, we're going to the medical center. Stop thinking about Kuma."

She was still giggling as I dragged her along and she struggled to keep up with me. I was like a bull charging ahead trying to leave that embarrassing revelation in the dust.

We passed by a few handmaidens whose mouths were open wide as we charged on ahead. I knew what they were going to gossip about later. That's what they were notorious for: spreading rumors and lies. I grit my teeth together and just moved ahead. The medical center was only a few hallways down.

Sakura spoke up beside me, "Hey. Sasuke, I was thinking. Do you feel weird about last night?" she didn't say it like she was embarrassed, merely curious.

My eyebrow cocked upwards. She really wanted to know? It was awkward, but I mean I didn't feel disgusted about if she was asking about it. Honestly, I didn't know what to think about it. It had been the first time I'd actually made a move. Wait, what the hell was it talking about? I wasn't making a move; I was just trying to help her out. Yeah, that was it. Just a friendly gesture. "Why do you feel weird about it?" I tried to evade her piercing gaze.

"No." she admitted. "It was really comforting though." she stated blatantly. "You know you'll have to do that again though if you don't want me to bulldoze you tonight." She grinned.

I smiled wryly and shook my head, "You need help. I've never met anybody who is as restless at night as you."

She pouted, "Don't be mean. I've had this problem since I was a baby. My parents got me my own bed, just because nobody wanted to sleep with me." she laughed fondly at the memory and I felt a pang of guilt.

I could see that really missed her home. There was a way to return home but strangely, I was reluctant to tell her about it. "Really?" I muttered distractedly and turned the corner, "Here's the medical center, and if you have any injuries just remember to come here." I tried to change the subject.

Sakura nodded and we proceeded in. Rin was standing there as if expecting us with her clipboard in hand. She looked amused to see me and interest flickered into her eyes as she caught sight of Sakura.

SAKURA P.O.V.

Sasuke gestured to the woman, "This is Rin. She's our head doctor here and she's very skilled. She'll be able to figure out what's wrong with you." I'm pretty sure he meant that in a sincere tone but he made it sound like I had some lethal disease.

I glanced up at him and snorted, "There's nothing wrong with me." I muttered. "In fact there's something right with me if my body doesn't react to poisons." I protested.

He just shrugged and nudged me over to the lady who I now finally observed. She was a petite woman with short brown hair and intelligent coffee brown eyes. She had purple rectangle markings on her face and wore long white robes over an emerald green kimono. She smiled genuinely, "It's nice to finally meet you. It's an honor, _Mizu no kami no hanayome._I cringed as she greeted me so formally.

"There's no need to address me like that." I laughed nervously. "I'm just an ordinary mortal. But likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you." I curtsied as Hinata had done earlier.

When I lifted my head I saw that Rin had a surprised look upon her face, "Gods, it's been forever since anybody has curtsied to a lowly doctor like me!" she chuckled. "I'm just a handmaiden." She laughed.

I shrugged, "I respect people who help others. The position of a doctor is nothing to scoff at." I replied.

Her eyes twinkled and she turned to Sasuke, "The fates have chosen well. Your bride is one-of-a-kind, I like her already." She commented. "Here take a seat." I did as she said and clasped my hands together nervously.

"There won't be anything painful, will there?" I asked apprehensively.

Rin grinned, "Maybe there will, maybe there won't." I gulped at this and tried to steady my nerves. From past experiences I always hated yearly check-ups. They never ended well.

Rin took a needle from her medical tool box and sterilized it, "Now tell me, have you taken any other foods or herbs since your arrival?" she asked smoothly.

Sasuke answered for me, "She said Hinata had given her a Nemuru root and she ate some bread, and if you count the tea that she was served earlier. Last night, it seemed that the Nemuru had no effect on her body as well. So it seems that she is immune to non-dangerous herb as well."

The woman glanced at Sasuke, "Thank you Sakura." She replied dryly. Rin took my hands within and squeezed them reassuringly. "You'll be alright. I just need to run a blood test to see if anything is in your system, alright? Now, don't tense up." She took the sharp needle and I gulped as I saw it glint in the sunlight.

I gripped Sasuke's arm and dug my fingernails into his robe which didn't seem to affect him in the least bit. The needle slid effortlessly into my skin but it prickled and the skin around the needle began to throb painfully. I tried to inhale and exhale easily but only little hisses came out of my mouth.

Rin seemed concentrated and she slid the needle out with narrowed eyes. "I suggest you look away if you don't want to see any blood." She informed me and I squeezed my eyes shut at her words.

I heard her moving around the medical unit and then the soft feel of bandages were wrapped around my arm. I opened my eyes and let out a breath of relief.

She held up a vial of a black-red liquid I could only assume was my blood she sloshed it around and looked at it with interest. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" she grinned and began to open the vial of blood. She took a dropper which contained some sort of chemical and put in a few drops of blue liquid. Shaking the vial once more, the blood change color, it was now a lime green.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, "What's that mean?" he asked curiously.

Rin paused, "It means, she has supernatural hematocytes within her blood stream. It's not a large amount…but it's there."

I frowned, "How is that possible? I'm one hundred percent mortal, I can reassure you."

She chuckled, "That may very well be but because of your bond to Sasuke-san it may have done something to your body."

Sasuke groaned, "You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope." Rin answered cheekily. "Here's my theory." She set the vial down. "The impact of the bond must have been so strong that some of Sasuke's hematocytes or cells might have been embedded into your own body leading it to mutate within your bloodstream and form a new type of cell foreign to mortals but common within supernatural beings. This type of cell is called _Saibō o mamoru__._ The amount of cells transferred must have been so great that it is able to protect you against lethal herbs like Mahi. These cells are probably forming a defense mechanism within your body as we speak. However it sees even medicinal herbs as a threat to your body which is why the effect of even sleeping aids will be nullified." She explained.

My head spun, "S-so what you're saying is that the bond caused me to inherit some supernatural abilities?" I asked confused.

She shook her head, "Not quite. Since you're a human the supernatural cells are only boosting your immune system not really giving you any abilities but strengthening your body. I mean it's possible that the cells could further mutate and grow into a supernatural ability but it's highly unlikely."

Sasuke was just as puzzled, "This has never happened before. Gods have sometimes bonded with a mortal but this has ever happened. I've never heard of it."

Rin shrugged, "It actually has happened before. The incident was recorded and was documented in medical studies. It didn't have any lethal side effects but it did say something else." She was thoughtful for a while.

"And what was that?"

"The mortals that inherited the supernatural hematocytes were shown to be a better compatibility for immortality. Meaning, compared to the average mortal, Sakura could be turned and actually survive the process." Rin stated quite clearly.

Turned? Did she mean that I could be an immortal? I stood up hastily, "Let's not rush this alright? I mean I might not even be here for very long so let's not even think about immortality." I was panicking, the thought hadn't even occurred to me. And Ino had said that there was a way to get me back to the human world…

Sasuke just stared at Rin and his fingers curled, "No. That's not going to be an option." He stated softly. And I stopped blathering to listen to his words. "There's no way." His teeth clenched together. "She doesn't want to be here so why would I even contemplate giving her immortality? That would chain her to this world. She wouldn't be able to return ever." He hissed out.

Okay, I had to admit. I was a little touched at this. He knew that I was homesick and that I wanted to see my parents but I hadn't expected him to voice this so I was a little surprised and only stared at him.

Rin just shrugged at his sudden outburst. "It was just a medical fact Sasuke-san. Nothing more."

He seemed to relax and I murmured, "Thanks." To which he gave a slight nod to. A knock at the door broke the awkward silence and Ino stepped in with her platinum blonde hair shining bright. She grinned as she caught sight of us.

"Sasuke…your mom wants you." She jerked her head at the door. "She's going ballistic. Apparently you didn't make your bed." She examined her nails.

Sasuke glared at him, "Grow up will you?" he muttered. Ino merely smirked and shrugged. "What does she really want?" he demanded.

"She needs to see you for more preparations for the banquet. And she wanted me to escort Sakura to her dress fitting across town." She replied easily.

Sasuke nodded and turned to leave but paused and looked at me, "If Ino gives you any grief feel free to hit her. By the way I'm going to kill you for telling Sakura about Kuma. I know it was you."

Ino snorted with laughter; "She wanted to know more about you Sasuke!" she winked.

Sasuke turned to me, "Hey, from now on I want you to call Ino, Ino-pig. It was her nickname when she was a kid. Stir up some traumatic childhood memories for me, will you?" he shot a smirk in Ino's direction.

Ino glared back at him, "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, good-bye Sasuke." She slammed the door with a little bend of her index finger. I heard his chuckle through the door and then Ino turned to me brightly. "Ready to look fabulous?"

I shrugged, "Sure. I guess…do I have to do this?"

"Yes, you do. Now, did they find out what was wrong with you?" Ino looked at me in concern.

Rin spoke up suddenly, "She has supernatural hematocytes within her bloodstream. It's apparently given her some supernatural protection against poisons and nullifies even healing properties."

Ino let out a low whistle, "Wow. That's pretty tight. But we can talk about that more later, ready to go?" she asked me. I nodded wordlessly and she gripped my arm, "Hold on tight." She warned and then suddenly I felt a sucking motion at my feet and then my surroundings disappeared and were replaced by a grassy field that many houses were settled around.

I let go breathlessly, "W-where are we?"

"This is outside the palace. It's where all the major shops are." She replied simply and began walking forward.

"Wait…" I grabbed her arm. "I have something to ask you." Worry coated my tone and that made her stop and look at me. "I-I was wondering…how is a mortal turned into an immortal?" I asked carefully.

She froze and paled, "Why do you want to know that?" she whispered. "I thought you wanted to leave and go back! What brought this on?"

"I know! I was just curious. Rin said something that the process wasn't always guaranteed. Like you can die if it goes wrong. I was just curious." I stated truthfully.

She eyed me warily, "Well then you're talking to the right person." She sighed. "I happen to know a lot about it. It's a very risky but simple procedure. All you got to do is drink from an elixir. It's simple as that. There is a 10 percent survival chance. Once you drink the elixir you fall into a sleep for 48 hours. If it succeeds you will awaken after the 48 hours, if it fails, you die in your sleep." Ino explained her face solemn. "

I let out a breath, "This elixir, it is hard to get?"

Ino frowned, "Well not necessarily. It's pretty simple to make. I mean I could make it right now but-"

"Ino-chan!" Hinata's voice came from behind and we both turned to see her rushing up her face flushed. "There you guys are! I was wondering where on earth you two were."

Ino murmured, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I'll be off then now that you go her covered." She turned to leave but I called out.

"Aren't you going to help me pick a dress? Weren't you all gung ho about it?" I frowned.

She shook her head, "I was just supposed to take you here. Tenten is going to kill me if I ditch her. Apparently she doesn't like eggshell white curtains or something like that." Ino rolled her eyes. "Catch you later!" She disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves and Hinata tugged on my kimono.

"Are you about ready?" she enquired politely.

I nodded silently and she led me along the path to a large stone house with smoke billowing from the chimney. We stepped inside and warmth immediately encircled my body.

"Ooohhh…she's lovely." A voice cooed and I whipped around to see a pale woman with lavender hair up in a ponytail. She wore a long trench coat and I could see fishnet around her legs.

I stuttered. "H-Hello." I did a quick clumsy curtsy.

She giggled, "No need, darling. I'm Anko…Sasuke's personal seamstress. I'll be at your service as well. And boy am I going to have SO much fun with you." She grinned up with a malicious smile.

I blinked quickly, "Yeah. Tons of fun." I stuttered.

Hinata squeezed my arm reassuringly. "Don't worry." She whispered.

Anko took out a measuring tape, "Now hold still dearie." She chuckled and began to go to work. She tediously measured every inch of my body and talked to me conversationally. Although I was semi-creeped out by her she seemed relatively nice and sincere.

Hinata sat at the window the entire time looking wistfully outside the window. I noticed this and I joked, "What's wrong? Looking for your Prince Charming?" she jolted upright and shook her head, pale. I frowned but decided not to comment further.

"Which do you like better, maroon or lavender?" Anko questioned her eyebrows pointed upwards.

"Uh…lavender." I answered distractedly. "Say, Anko. Do you think that I'll be received poorly, you know, by the other gods?"

"Oh hush. You'll be fine. My dress will be so spectacular, they'll be speechless the entire night." She smiled. "Besides, just nod and smile. Oh! And look pretty of course…I think I'll do a corset, are you fine with that? Wonderful." She carried on without an answer from me.

From the corner of my eye I saw a blonde man approach the cabin and recognized him as Naruto. I glanced at Hinata and suddenly it made sense to me. "Hey," I began casually. "Hinata, if you want, you can you know go with Naruto, I'll be fine." I smiled.

She blushed red and stuttered, "Oh! I didn't mean to give the impression, but I—oh will it be fine? I'll promise to be back in a few minutes."

I laughed, "Yeah, I'll be perfectly fine. With Anko's direction I can get back to the palace by myself." I nodded. "Just go ahead. No need to be cooped up in here with me."

Hinata nodded gratefully, "Thank you." She whispered and quickly stepped out of the cabin to meet Naruto.

'Well that was awful kind of you." Anko commented while measuring out some silk.

I watched out the window, "What is their relationship?"

Anko glanced at me, "They're lovers you idiot. Except they aren't supposed to be together, can you imagine the uproar if a god married a handmaiden? They haven't bonded yet so it's seen as a disgrace to society. Of course I think the whole thing is stupid. Hinata and Naruto have to carry on like this or people would gossip. Horrible isn't it?"

"How come they haven't bonded yet when Sasuke and I have?" That seemed a bit unfair and it never occurred to me that Hinata and Naruto's relationship would ever be looked down upon.

"Because, like people should have told you, bonding is spontaneous. It doesn't always work at first contact." She explained wearily.

I was silent for the rest of the time as I mused upon this. My stomach was roiling, I was nervous. I would have to be in front of tons of gods and present myself in a society where mortals were looked down upon. That was something I had never prepared for.

An hour or so passed and Anko had given me clear directions back to the palace. Walk along the river until you get to the bridge and then I would be a few meters away from the palace. Since Ino wasn't with me I would have to walk the distance. I welcomed the long walk as I needed time to think, time to sort it all out.

I kept walking along the river, and then I heard an unmistakable rustle in the bushes. I stopped dead in my tracks, "Hello?" I called out hoarsely and then slapped myself mentally, was I stupid? Did I honestly think somebody would call back and say 'Hi, I'm just going to attack you, hope you don't mind.'

I inched backwards and tried to continue on. For God's sake it could have been a bunny. I moved on but then I heard it again. A rustle and then crunching sound. Swallowing hard I moved towards the bush and extended my hand to part the bushes. A dark blur leapt out at me and I let out a piercing scream and crashed on the ground.

I got up and grabbed for a nearby stick and turned to see my attacker. I paled at the monster in front of me. It was a large hunched back beast with fangs and bull horns atop its head. Its long tail swished back and forth menacingly.

"HELP!" I cried out but knew it was no use. I was probably a mile away from Anko's house and another few miles from the palace. Before I could blink it leapt up and lunged at me once more, my reflexes were slow but I managed to roll out of harm's way. It's claws however managed to pierce my shoulders and I let out a gasp of pain before I dropped to the ground, my legs failing me.

It lunged once more it's fangs opening as if planning to devour me right there. I glared at it, I couldn't die now. There was no way I was going to get pummeled by an ugly beast like this. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I dove into the river, hoping it didn't like water.

But no, it had no problem swiping its claws in the water creating mini-tsunamis that were threatening to drown me. Water was filling my lungs and I struggled to stay afloat but it was still stirring up the water. Spluttering angrily I gripped onto the edge of the bank, "STOP IT!" I growled out. I didn't expect anything to happen. It was just something that I had called out in desperation. But as I yelled it, the turbulent waves stopped and were peaceful. I was relieved but then stopped as I saw that the water was gathering at one point, bubbling up. Gasping, I pushed myself out of the river and the monster also paused, sensing something amiss. The volcanic building of the water suddenly burst into a jet and spurted in the monster's direction.

The monster yelped out in pain and it crashed to the ground, I stumbled backwards and felt myself going faint with exertion, what was going on? How did the water suddenly do that? My answer caught me as I slumped backwards. Strong hands gripped me and I heard Sasuke call out to me, "Sakura! Sakura! Sakura are you alright!" I could hear the furious tone in his voice and he placed me down gently. "Shit! He got away…" he was talking to somebody else but I could only see Sasuke's onyx eyes.

"H-hey what was that?" I asked him weakly.

"Damn Shifter." He spat out. "They roam around here occasionally. Damn it! Where's Hinata! Wasn't she supposed to take you home?" He sat me up and I struggled to breathe easily.

I grasped his shoulder, "Hey thanks for kicking his ass…" I murmured.

He looked at me quizzically, "What are you talking about? When I got here the monster was running away. I didn't really do anything." He chuckled.

Confusion muddled my mind. Who had hit the Shifter? It couldn't have been anybody else besides Sasuke and I…I. And then a possibility struck me, but it was so crazy that I couldn't believe it.

Doctor Rin's voice rang in my ears, "_it's possible that the cells could further mutate and grow into a supernatural ability…"_ No effing way. There was just no way. Had the supernatural cell mutated and given me some kind of ability over water? No doubt it wasn't as strong as Sasuke's but still it was something. Something that wasn't possible.

Sasuke stood up and tried to track the Shifter's prints. While he was occupied I inched towards the river and put my palm over the water. I sucked in a sharp breath as the water lifted slightly and formed a bubble in my palm. Ohmygodohmygodohhmygod.

I snatched my hand back onto the ground and immediately the bubble burst, further soaking my dress.

It wasn't possible but somehow, I, Sakura Haruno, could now kick a Shifter's ass and make bubbles in my hand. And it felt kind of awesome.

A/N: THANKS FOR ALL KIND WORDS AND REVIEWS :)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter I was supposed to do homework but ended up working on this all day I'm such a procrastinator…

REVIEWER OF THE WEEK: is…TIGER PRIESTESSS! RAWRR YAYAYAY! Get it rawr…like tiger…haha. I know cheesy. But thank you so much for all your love I noticed you've like reviewed every chapter and I'm just so HAPPY that you thought my writing is funny! I try to put some humor into this and I'm glad it payed off :) You are awesome, love you! OH! And thanks for telling me the parts that you liked best, I'm thinking about putting Kuma in one of the chapters teehee !

THANKS GUYTHS. I updated like really quick this time. I just felt inspired…and when I get inspired…I GET INSPIRED :)

LOVE,

WRITER4EVERR


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: i have a poll up on my profile! Take a look, lovelies ;)

Chapter 8: SCOREE!

So you might be thinking, Sakura! You can manipulate water! How freaking awesome is that? Go tell somebody and shove it in their faces and brag about it!

Well I did the exact opposite.

I went back to the palace with Sasuke and I kept my lips shut. The thing was, after experimenting in private a bit, I found I could only make bubbles on command, and that was where the awesomeness ended. In reality I could only control small quantities of water and fling it around randomly and after every time I manipulated the water I felt physically and mentally exhausted. No wonder this was a job only cut out for gods and goddesses. I didn't want to worry anybody or place attention on myself so I just let it pass and besides, everybody was way too busy to be preoccupied with my newfound bubble making powers.

It was after lunch that next afternoon and the whole palace was buzzing around. I, on the other hand, was moping around Sasuke's room. Well I guess, technically, it was mine too but it was really weird to think of it that way. Everybody was busy for preparations while I just twiddled my thumbs and nodded whenever a handmaiden would pass by and do a quick curtsy. I fell back on the bed and closed my eyes with a sigh, "God there's nothing to do…" I groaned.

"Maybe then you could help me." I opened one eye lazily and saw Sasuke standing there. He was standing there with a blank expression and was holding a pile of cloths in one hand. He extended the other hand and I grabbed on to it and pushed myself up.

"Sure…" I drawled out. "To relieve this boredom, I'll help even you out. That's how desperate I am." I teased.

He glowered at me but I just shrugged and took the cloths out of his hand, "When can I help you out with?" I prompted.

"You can help with taking those to Hinata. She should be in the East Annex."

"Oh right, lemme just head over there." I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "You forget Sasuke, I'm directionally challenged."

"Is there anything you _can_ do?" he mocked.

"I can annoy you." I grinned cheekily.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you're an expert at that by now."

"You give me tons of opportunities to practice."

"…"

I just laughed quietly, "You asked me if I could do anything—AHH!" I let out a yelp as cold water splashed my face. I sputtered angrily as I realized what he had done. "Cheater! You can't bring supernatural powers into witty banter!" I complained.

He chuckled and dropped a towel on my head, "Hey, we didn't establish any rules, now did we?" he had that devilish smirk upon his features.

I was tempted to splash him with what little powers I had, but decided against it. My lip curled, "That's foul play." I retorted with chagrin.

"My apologies, Lady Haruno." He bowed with a grin on his face. I smacked his arm. He knew that annoyed me when people were so formal.

"But really," I deadpanned, "What can I do? I've just been here since breakfast. I even organized your kimonos because I was so bored."

He gave me a strange look, "You organized my kimonos?"

"And I color coded all of them too." I added proudly.

"That's not something to be proud of. I only have blue kimonos, Sakura." He shook his head with a small smile on his face.

I deflated with disappointment. "Well, you have different shades…" I stated lamely.

He shook his head, "You really are something." He muttered and laughed quietly. "But you're right. I can't just keep you cooped up in here." He mused to himself. "Oh that reminds me actually. My mother wants me to meet some people. They're goddesses, some that came early for the banquet. You can greet them with me."

"But my hair's soaked and I look ugly…UGH. You would make me go see somebody when I look like this!" I got all up in his face and made a face. "Do you see all this ugliness?"

He shrugged, "You look fine to me. Your hair is drying already. C'mon, they're not even that important. Just say hi and smile."

I face palmed, "God, you really don't get girls at all. We can't just smile and think we look pretty. We need to get ready. As in change, do my hair, do something about my face, and shave my legs!" I wailed.

"You're right." He snorted. "I don't get girls. Now come on." He yanked at my arm and pulled me along.

I protested feebly but his grip was strong and I was just carried away. We came down the hallway to the very first floor where I could see Mikoto and 3 other people standing there.

The first was a pale, lean teen with a blank expression upon his face. He carried a sketchbook in one hand and he wore an all-black kimono with a gray obi. The second was a devilish looking man with blue hair and sharp pointy teeth. In my opinion he resembled a shark and looked annoyed with the girl beside him. She was a red-haired girl with opulently colored robes. Glasses were perched upon her nose and she immediately perked up as Sasuke came into her vision.

"Ahh…" Mikoto smiled prettily as she saw me. "You brought Sakura, wonderful!"

The red-haired girl frowned as she viewed me with contempt, "Who's she? She smells like a mortal!" she pointed accusingly.

I rolled my eyes, it hadn't been 30 seconds and I already was annoyed with her. "That would be because I am a mortal." I retorted dryly.

The blue-haired man beside her sniggered, "Sorry 'bout her." He gestured to the red-haired girl. "She's a bit slow. By the way I'm Suigetsu or my formal title, _Kaiyō seibutsu no kami_. I take care of all the marine life." He winked. "I don't usually go for mortal girls but you're pretty." He chuckled and I blanched. Uh uh. No way.

Sasuke glared at Suigetsu. "Hands off." He warned. Suigetsu held up his hands defensively but didn't comment.

The pale teen spoke up to me, "Allow me to introduce myself as well. My name is Sai. I am the _Geijutsu no kami. _The God of Art." He smiled politely and I nodded in respect as well.

Red-haired girl stepped up and batted her eyelashes at Sasuke. "Well I suppose I'll introduce myself to you." She spat out 'you' like it was something dirty. "Sasuke already knows me _intimately._" She shot me a smug smile like I was supposed to be jealous or something. "My name is Karin. I'm the goddess _Kari no Megami__, g_oddess of the wilderness. It's nice to meet you, I suppose." She shrugged and I bit down on my lip to resist an outburst.

Mikoto ignored Karin's introduction and took me by the shoulder. "This is Sakura Haruno. She just came to us recently by fate." She smiled and continued on. "Sasuke and her were bonded!" she announced excitedly.

Karin's jaw dropped, to my immense satisfaction and she spluttered, "Wait, what?" she demanded. "How the hell is that possible? She's a mortal!"

Suigetsu grinned and clapped Sasuke's back, "Congratulations, my man! Glad to know you won't spend the rest of your days withering away, lonely. "

Karin interjected with a snarl, "She's a mortal. That means she ages and she'll die." She was shaking her head in disbelief.

"Wow." I spoke up. "That's a good way to put things." I commented sarcastically.

Mikoto shook her head, "Enough. There are ways to turn mortals. You know that Karin. I know that you might be a tad upset but it's joyous new for me to hear that my son has found his match."

Ways to turn mortals? Did she mean that she planned to turn me immortal? My thoughts were distracted as a handmaiden came over with a tray of drinks and whispered in Mikoto's ear.

"I see, thank you." She muttered and turned back to us. "My apologies but it seems that Suigetsu, Sai, and I have to depart for further complication in tonight's planning. It seems incompetence is contagious." She wrung her hands together and curtsied to Karin before leaving with Sai and Suigetsu on her heels.

The handmaiden placed the tray of drinks on a nearby table and then flitted off.

It was only Karin, Sasuke, and I standing there now. Karin who was glaring at me, and I who was glaring at Sasuke for making me come, and Sasuke who was staring off to the ceiling trying to ignore the tension.

Karin grabbed a glass from the table, "So Sakura, has Sasuke told you about me?" she smiled.

I remained passive, "No actually he hasn't."

She snorted, "Maybe he didn't want to hurt your feelings?" she suggested with a wink to Sasuke. I saw him grimace and he nudged my shoulder.

"Karin, stop it." He gritted out.

She swatted him playfully, "Oh c'mon Sasuke, didn't you tell her about us?"

I twitched as Karin, the goddess of bitch, kept making 'subtle' jabs at me. She continued on, flirting one-sidedly with Sasuke and making light of the fact that I was a mortal.

"Oh Sakura, darling, have you tried these delicious fruit cocktails? I suppose you haven't seeing as the mortal world is just so primitive. I can't imagine living in such conditions—"

"What the hell's your problem?" I cut in sharply.

She looked over at me wide-eyed and Sasuke jabbed me in the stomach. "Save it." He hissed but I ignored him. "What's your problem?" I repeated with a snarl added on for dramatic effect. But, really I was pissed.

She feigned a look of innocence which made me gag. "I have no idea what you're talking about, do you, Sasuke?" Karin clung on his arm and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

And that set me off right there. I bared my teeth and contemplated pulling at her hair but I knew how that would make me look. I tried to calm myself and clench my fists together. _Ignore her Sakura._

Karin giggled, "Aww, she's getting a little jealous!" she crowed out in a sing-song voice.

"Karin…" his tone was warning.

"We're just having some fun." She stepped forward and leaned in close to whisper to me. Sasuke leaned back, staring at me warily and mouthed 'Ignore her.' I threw him a glare, as if I could really do that when she was all up in my face.

"What do you want?" I asked evenly. I tried not to shove her away and keep things civil. It was a meeting with influential gods and goddesses that I wasn't going to disturb. I was NOT going to mess this up.

She smiled sweetly. "Look, you may think you have some kind of claim to Sasuke just because you got lucky and bonded to him. But don't think you're so special now." She spat out.

Sasuke looked about ready to intervene but I shook my head and motioned for him to stop. I wanted to hear the rest of her crap.

"Go on." I laughed mockingly.

Her glare intensified. "I really hate mortals." She hissed out. "And I'll personally make sure you belong to whatever sad village you came from. That is, if your parents will want you back. What kind of parents would allow their child to be sacrificed?" She grinned maliciously. "If your parents didn't even want you, what makes you think people want you around here?"

I thought about walking away, I really did. But her words dug deep and cut through. My eyes stung, because I knew that what she was saying was semi-true. My parents hadn't stepped in. They had thought it such a great honor for their child to be chosen. I tried to shake away the feeling of nostalgia and returned my attention to the smirking goddess in front of me. God, how I hated that smug smile on her face.

So I did the one thing that I wanted to do more than anything in the world.

I punched her square in the jaw, which elicited a satisfying shriek as she fell to the floor holding her jaw and whimpering in pain. Sasuke stood by the side, with his arms crossed and a small smile on his face. I shot him a triumphant grin and walked away from Karin, the whole room quieted.

Oh yeaahhh, score one for Sakura Haruno. My new motto? When life gives you Karin, punch her in the face.

A/N: Again, I apologize for the short chapter and delay but I wanted to get something out. If I was going to have it longer it would have taken more time to get out and more people would be frustrated with me, sorry!

Next chapter WILL be the banquet, YAY! Have any questions, suggestions, or ideas? MAAAN bring 'em to me and leave them in your reviews.

REVIEWERS OF THE WEEK:

Alyssaangel15: you have been with me since LETHAL LOVE! I love that you take the time to review for each and every chapter, I imagine how tedious that must be but thank you nonetheless! Your support is amazing and THANK you so much for giving this story a chance!

Special mention to GoldenDoe06: your support is incredible as well! Thank you so much for all your reviews and I'm glad you like Sasuke's POV I'm thinking of doing another one, eh? AND thank you for asking questions DUDE. I mean, I'm pretty confusing so YEAHHH LOLOL :) Mortals can turn immortal and Sakura can bubble-bend.

REVIEW, MY LOVELY READERS!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Taco Comparisons and Blushing Pinkheads

SASUKE POV-

I really didn't know how I felt about Sakura. But right now, I was half annoyed with her and half of me was cheering wildly for her when she punched Karin. Not that I showed it or anything. Male Uchihas don't show anything but negativity.

I was annoyed because Karin was now sobbing on the ground and Sakura had left me to clean up after her. I rolled my eyes as Karin continued bawling loudly, attracting the attention of several handmaidens. "Karin." I hissed out impatiently. "She's a human girl; you're a goddess, meaning you have supernatural endurance. Don't act like that actually hurt." But secretly, I was hoping it hurt just a little bit. She deserved it 1000 times over.

Her eyes widened with hurt, "Sasuke-kun, why are you criticizing me? She's the one that got violent!" she wailed.

I scowled, "It was justified. And what were you so mad about? She didn't do anything."

She glared as well, "Oh, don't play dumb. Mikoto was planning to marry us together. If she hadn't showed up out of the blue after 200 plus years, I could have been with you!" she complained with fury in her eyes.

My eyes rolled, really? She was mad about that? From now on, I was going to be so nice to Sakura. She had saved me from an eternity with Karin. Or at least, a few decades with Karin, after that, I would have probably gone insane and been sent away. "Karin if you don't have anything else worth saying, I'll be on my way." I informed her curtly. I rubbed my temple tiredly, god, it had only been only 10 minutes and I was about to have an aneurysm.

She lunged upwards to grab at my wrist but a tendril of water snaked out my sleeve to slap away her hand. Karin recoiled and I turned to one of the handmaidens, "Take her to Yamanaka. She'll deal with her." The handmaiden nodded in understanding. The only one that could really deal with Karin was Ino.

I walked away hastily and moved up the stairs. I knew where Sakura was. We were bonded and that gave me an added sixth sense to know where she was. She probably didn't know she had one too, but I was more attuned to things like that. Sakura was sitting haughtily on the banister as if waiting for me.

"Took you forever, did it take a long time to comfort her?" She snorted and hopped down from the banister and looked me straight in the eye, "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Chuckling I shook my head, "Actually, no. I would've punched her myself if I could have." I admitted.

"Then why didn't you?" she demanded. "Because guys don't hit girls?" she let out a breezy laugh.

"No," I answered slowly. "Because I was 'ordered'" I put the word in air quotations, "to treat her with 'respect'." He laughed mirthlessly. "I was supposed to marry her, you know?"

Sakura made a face, "Sounds fun." She commented sarcastically. "Let me guess, she hates me because now that we're bonded, it kind of changes things." She grinned with satisfaction.

"Yeah, now my mom is in love with you and she's pretty much dropped Karin as match for me."I shrugged but grinned with relief, "For that, I owe you one."

She gave a light smile but then her expression went serious, "Did you guys do anything?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes wouldn't meet mine as she asked the question.

I drew closer to her and smirked, "Why? You jealous?" my hand reached up but she swatted it away with a glare on her face.

"Not a chance, Uchiha! It was just out of curiosity!" she growled out defensively. She hopped off the banister to confront me directly but all it did was put her under my eye-level.

I shrugged, "If you puts your jealous mind at ease, we didn't do anything Karin was BSing the whole time. Things go on in that delusional mind of hers." I shuddered inwardly.

"Oh." She put on a nonchalant face as if to say that it didn't mean anything to her. And then she turned to me with a serious expression, "I have another question." She went on reluctantly.

"Yeah?" my eyebrow arched, "Go on." I prompted her.

"Do you think," she came closer as her voice dropped down to a whisper, "that I'll have to be turned?" Worry came over her face and she looked pale. Had she been worrying about this the entire time? She looked frail all of a sudden instead of her usual feisty self.

"Is that what you're scared about?" I asked softly. "You don't want to stay here? Do you want to see your family and go back?"

"I-I…" she was lost for words. "I just don't know if I can go back. Karin was right, you know? My parents were glad to get rid of me if it meant they would get rain and survive. I don't know if I want to go back to people who didn't even want me in the first place!" She bit her lip, trying to hold back the dam that was threatening to burst forth.

Sakura looked broken and I had forgotten that she had been scared and that her strong act was probably all an act. She was in a foreign world that she felt like an outsider with all the mortal prejudice. Her whole body was shaking and the only thing I knew how to do was just put my arms around her to comfort her. I never did this before and it felt strange to hold her, but she needed somebody. I could tell that she felt lonely.

And then she let go of all her frustration. She was silent but her body shook violently with wracked sobs. For a few minutes she burrowed her head on my shoulder and then she seemed to remember where she was and jerked upright with a start.

She let out a shaky laugh and let go of me, "I'm really sorry." She rubbed her eyes. "I don't know what the hell that was. I never lose control like that. I'm usually really calm and I don't cry on random people's shoulders. I just-"

I interrupted her, "Sakura, shut up." I sighed warily.

"Okay." She squeaked out.

"You don't have to act strong all the time. It's not good to keep it all pent up. The more you let it out, the less you have to cry on my shoulder and cover my clothes in your snot." I wrinkled up my nose in mock disgust.

Sakura broke into a teary smile, "Sorry 'bout that. I think it's an improvement, really."

It was my turn to glare at her. I took her by the shoulder, "C'mon. We have to get you cleaned up. It's almost time for Anko to take you to your fitting. She'll bite my head off if she sees you with swollen eyes."

The rosette stopped for a second and she smiled warmly, "You know, Sasuke, you really aren't all that bad. I thought you were a conceited, cocky jerk—"

"Thanks." I huffed.

"Let me finish, but you're really like….well, a taco."

"A taco? I'm starting to like your first impression of me better." I replied dryly. She had to be kidding me. I just comforted her and let her cry on my shoulder and now she was comparing me to a taco. This girl needed to come up with better analogies.

"No, you're like a taco!" she nodded eagerly. "You have a hard shell around you, but once you bite in, it's like a yummy, gooey mixture of sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cheese and beef!"

I face palmed, "God, you're strange, Haruno." I shook my head, "C'mon, let's go before you start comparing me to an eggplant or something."

She giggled but followed me dutifully. It was starting to occur to me that maybe I really didn't mean having her around.

SAKURA POV-

Anko scared me, to say the least. She was terrifying and she had eyes like a hawk and she moved as fast and precise as a snake in the grass. One she first saw me she yanked me inside and slammed the door in Sasuke's face. "Darling! What the hell's wrong with your face?" she demanded.

"I had a bad night." I mumbled and sat down on the couch tiredly. We were in another room out the many thousand that Sasuke's palace had. This room was brightly lit and had many mirrors with chairs in front of them all. I was guessing this was where all the goddesses came to look perfect. However, it was only Anko and I now and her wrath filled up the entire room.

"Sakura, dear…" she hissed out. "I only have a few hours until the banquet to make you perfect. You're not making my job easy." She gritted out.

"Then just let me go like this. There's no better face than the natural face." I drawled out boredly.

"Absolutely not!" she snatched me up and sat me in front of one of the mirrors. "Do you know how fast my reputation would plunge? God, I'd be ruined and there's no way I'm letting you step out like that!" Whipping out a makeup palette she went to work on my face.

I let out a sigh and wondered what was to come of this evening. Would I be accepted by the legions of gods coming today? Would I be turned into an immortal one day? Staying here seemed like an increasingly good idea as every day passed. It wasn't that bad here; I had Ino, Tenten, Hinata and Sasuke. My cheeks reddened as my mind drifted to Sasuke. I was squirming with embarrassment now and Anko reprimanded me with a loud tsk. "Sorry." I muttered and closed my eyes trying to relax and let the tension ebb out of my body and soon drifted off to a light doze.

Not long after, I felt myself being shaken awake, "Wake up sleepy head!" Anko called cheerily. I blinked rapidly, "How long was I out?"

"Eh, not too long, just about two hours or so." Enough time for me to finish your makeup and nails." She replied easily. "What do you think?" She sat me up and I only blinked as I stared back at my reflection. That really wasn't me, was it?

I poked my cheek. "Wow." I breathed out. "You're a genius." I muttered as I continued poking at my face. How did she get my face to look all smooth and flawless? I turned to her with a grin, "You managed to turn me from an ugly duckling to a swan." I chuckled quietly.

She laughed, "Aw, come on. I didn't have to do that much work. Usually when I do Karin's makeup it takes 3 times as long." She made a face and I laughed out loud at her reply.

"So you're like the professional makeup artist around here?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Something like that, they call on me and I go attend to their beauty problems." She rolled her eyes. "Usually it's a pain; goddesses can be such an annoyance sometimes."

My eyebrow quirked upwards, "Aren't you a goddess?"

"Nope, I'm a witch. I specialize in beauty spells of the like. Don't be fooled." She waggled a finger in my direction. "I can still put up one hell of a fight."

I raised both my hands, "Wasn't planning on getting on your bad side." And I never will. I thought silently. I had no doubt that Anko could defeat anybody easily. "So do all witches specialize in something?"

Anko shook her head, "Nah. It just depends on what you power you want to develop. For instance, Ino is a witch that specializes in poisons and medicines. There are also general practicing witches as well. There are black witches; they are a group of witches that do dark magic. There aren't that many around here, though." She zipped down her trench coat and exposed her throat to me to show the same dagger-flower tattoo that Ino had. "This is the mark of a white witch. The mark of a black witch is on the wrist. Like this," she rolled up her sleeve to show me a tattoo of an inky black snake wrapped around her wrist, from its mouth emerged a dagger.

My eyes grew wide, "How can you have both? Does that mean that you're-"

She winked, "Maybe I'm a black witch." I shuddered which just made her laugh even louder, "Just kidding! Thing is, I used to be a black witch, I still have the tattoo but other than that, I'm fully reformed! It comes in handy when I want to trick a black witch." She mused to herself. "But enough about witchcraft! Time to get you into your dress!"

My mouth twisted into a grimace, "Ugh. Alright…" I stood up and Anko presented my dress, "TADA! What do you think?" She held up a lavender sleeved kimono with orchids stitched on that gave it an air of beauty and grace. The dress part of the kimono was a deep violet and at the edge also had white orchids stitched on. The obi was smaller than usual but would still accentuate the waist. The ribbon at the back was a pitch black color and flowed downwards like a waterfall of ink.

"What do you think?" Anko asked eagerly. "I think it's one of my best works! I consumed about 75% of my chakra making this beauty."

I began to take off my robe but she stopped me, "No need." She closed her eyes and muttered, "Fuku o kigaeru!" In a blink of an eye my I was already wearing the lovely kimono and my other clothes were now in Anko's hand.

She smirked, "I couldn't risk you tearing it while putting it on. Magic always solves problems, don't you think?" She took my old clothes and held it in disgust, "I'll burn these somewhere while you sit still, and I don't want you to mess your hair, your face or your dress up, got it?"

"I'll keep her company." Tenten's voice rang out beside me and I jumped up, scared half to death. I turned to her as she just sat in the next chair, casually.

I leaned back in relief, "God, you guys need to stop popping out of nowhere, I was about to pee in my pants."

"You better not have." Anko threatened.

"I didn't!" I yelled out as she left the room laughing to herself.

Tenten stood up and I noticed her change in outfit. She now wore a scarlet kimono that flowed outward like a ballroom gown. The dress was sleeveless and there was a golden ribbon tied 'round her waist. Her hair was let down into soft curls and a single rose placed behind her ear. "You nervous?" she enquired.

I shook my head. "Well, I think that after punching Karin, I can't screw up this evening up anymore."

Her eyes sparkled, "Yeah, I heard about that, thanks for that by the way. I would have punched her myself but that would've gotten me in trouble. No catfights allowed." She scowled and poured herself a glass of wine. She sipped it carefully and then seemed to wobble forward and she spilled the contents of the drink on my dress.

I stood up in horror as the blood red liquid began to seep and spread throughout the dress. "Tenten!" I wailed, "Anko's going to kill me."

She seemed unfazed and just watched the blob grow. "You can control water now can't you?"

My blood ran cold as I heard her accusation. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to make my voice calm but it wavered.

Tenten rolled her eyes, "I've heard you practicing, your mutation grew didn't it, to the point where you could control small quantities of water." she demanded.

I let out a frustrated growl, "Okay yes, it did! I didn't tell anybody because I didn't want to worry anybody or cause any uproar. Well you please do something about this growing stain?" My voice raised an octave.

Tenten shrugged, "Kurīn!" the wine seemed to be vacuumed from the fabric and went back into her glass, filling it back to its original amount. "Always works." she triumphantly smiled and took another sip.

I glared at her, "You're mean." I protested. "Putting me on edge so that I would be more likely to tell you about my power." I sighed, I really couldn't be mad at Tenten. At least she removed the stain, but now she knew my secret. "Don't tell anybody." I scowled.

She nodded, "Alright, I won't, I just wanted to confirm my suspicions and…give you pointers on controlling your ability."

I plopped back on a soft couch, "It's not really an ability…more like bubble bending." I used the term much to her amusement.

"Well for all manipulation it works like this. It's much stronger when your emotions are stronger, especially for a mortal like you. I'm guessing that you don't have much stamina to control so you get weakened easily. You need to let loose and feel yourself flow with the water that you control. You shouldn't tense up and concentrate; it's more of an effortless flow. You follow so far?" I nodded and she continued. "If you are in a serious situation and you need more than little bubbles, all you have to do is give yourself over to the water."

My nose scrunched up in confusion, "Give myself over to the water? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged, "You'll understand when you experience the situation. It's kind of vague, really. Now, act normal, Anko's going to come in." she stood up abruptly and Anko came in on cue.

Tenten smiled, "She's ready! I'll take her out to the main hallway to meet Sasuke." I froze as she said Sasuke.

"Whoa…why with Sasuke? Why can't I just go downstairs with you?" I was panicking, I didn't want to see Sasuke when I was all made up, and it would be weird! Awkward! UGH.

Tenten rolled her eyes and pushed me outside, "Stop complaining." We walked outside and I wobbled a bit on the heels that Anko had put on my feet while I had been sleeping.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw Sasuke standing at the hallway, waiting for me. OMGOMGOMG, breath Sakura! I tried to look calm but Sasuke was not making it easy for me. He had the same half-bored half-irritated expression on his gorgeous face. He wore a deep indigo kimono and a violet cord tied around his torso that I recognized was the same color as my kimono. He caught sight of me and his mouth slowly lifted at the sides.

"I see Anko enjoyed dolling you up. You look nice." He smirked and held out his arm for me to hold.

I glared at him, "Nice? I went through 3 hours of torture to get your compliment of 'nice'? It's not fair for me to go through Anko while all you get to do is put on a kimono. Speaking of which, I see you tried to add more color to your wardrobe." I gestured to the violet cord with a smirk.

"Well, Anko told me the color of your dress and I decided to coordinate. It doesn't look weird does it?" He enquired with another quirk of his eyebrow.

I laughed, "Nah. You look good. Promise." I smiled genuinely, my stomach was doing somersaults with nervousness, in just about five seconds I was going to greet a whole crowd of gods."

He seemed to sense my nervousness, "You'll do fine. You look beautiful. You shouldn't be nervous." He looked away as he said it but his voice rang with sincerity. He proceeded to walk and I followed along with my legs moving mechanically.

I managed to compose my face but on the inside, I assure you I was yelling out, "HELL YEAHHH! CHAAA! HE CALLED YOU BEAUTIFUL!" _Shut up inner-self! It's just Uchiha!_ YOU LIKE HIM!_ No I freaking don't!_

My god, I had officially lost my sanity and my dignity all thanks to one Uchiha Sasuke.

A/N: Please don't hate me! I know I said this chapter would be the banquet but you see… I had planned it to be a whole chapter and this stuff had to go before it! I really do apologize if it got your hopes up! I will post the next chapter really fast to make up for it! Don't kill me !

But, really your guy's support is incredible. I just checked the traffic stats and I get nearly 1000 visitors every chapter. O.O WTF DID I DO TO DESERVE THAT? IT'S MIND-BLOWING! Thank you so much…I feel like crying because you guys are so great and I couldn't get the banquet chapter out. Many apologies but it will be out soon.

And people, I PLAN on finishing this story. I'm not thinking about abandoning this story anytime soon. NO WAY. I love this story waaay too much for that. My updates are just probably slow but no way am I quitting it ^^.

REVIEWER OF THE WEEK: _**It'sasmile !**_okay, you are like amazing. You reviewed so many times for that last chapter! My gift to you? I did this chapter partly in Sasuke's POV. Thank you so much for your suggestions, I'm actually planning on using them so thank you so much for that! I'm not going to quit writing! I just update…like super slow. LOVE YA!

-WRITER4EVERR


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: No-no square!

You know that intense feeling of nervousness you get when you're sitting on the edge of a cliff, or you're about to do something that is a matter of life and death? Your palms get all sweaty and your stomach keeps rising to and fro. Your vision gets a little bit blurry and you just cannot focus. That was what I was feeling. Except all I had to do was walk down a damn staircase.

Sasuke led me down a hallway to where a spiral staircase was located. We were nearing and I could hear the chatter of gods and goddesses that were down there partying and having a good time.

I gulped audibly and Sasuke turned to me with a look of disbelief, "Are you seriously nervous?" he demanded.

"Yes, I am!" I hissed back. "I'm worried about making an ass of myself. I'm worried about falling down the stairs or something like that."

He leaned closer, "Hey, we have to be holding hands right? So if you trip, it's not like I'm going to let you go and let you stumbled down the stairs. Is your opinion of me that low?" he questioned with an amused look on his face.

I shrugged but I felt better, "Ah, well. I never know when it comes to you."

We traipsed down the first few steps and immediately the chattering stopped. I swallowed hard as we kept on walking down the stairs, I could now see the heads of all the gods and goddesses. Step, step, step, step, step, and faster than I had expected we were already down the steps with dozens of gods staring at me. Not Sasuke, but me. I smiled shakily and I heard Sasuke clear his throat. "Welcome, one and all." His voice boomed across the room as if a speaker was attached to his throat.

"As most of you know, the fates have brought me my bride." He gestured to me and I tried to smile more naturally but I probably looked like I was constipated.

I gave a deep curtsy as Hinata had instructed me and I managed a more normal expression, "I am honored to be in the midst of your presence. I hope that I will be able to join all of you in the festivities tonight."

"I hope that we will be able to enjoy ourselves tonight and please don't hesitate to come up to me to catch up." I saw him flash a pleasant smile and smirked to myself. I knew how fake that smile was, he probably didn't want to be here as much as I did.

Polite, scattered applause followed and I gazed around the room to see people whispering and boring their eyes into my skull.

The music resumed and the chatter slowly returned. Sasuke grabbed my hand, "See, that wasn't so bad." He murmured. "Now all we have to do is meet a few people."

We brushed by the crowd with Sasuke leading me around. He occasionally nodded to a few people. As we passed by a girl with a dark olive green dress, I felt her slender fingers curl around my arm and then she hissed out, "Slut." Her fingers quickly disappeared from my arm and Sasuke kept pushing through the crowd. My brow furrowed, had that actually happened?

I didn't have much time to think about it because we approached a couple that were sipping wine near the back of the room. The woman had long dark waves and bright scarlet eyes. The second was a tall, muscular man with spiky dark hair. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. "Hey, Asuma, Kurenai." He lazily greeted.

The both stood up straighter, and their eyes brightened as they caught sight of us. Kurenai came over with a cool smile, "Sakura Haruno, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kurenai, goddess of illusion and deception, _Sakkaku no Megami.__"_She straightened out her golden kimono which was adorned with pretty ruffles.

The man stepped forward, "Asuma, god of air, Kuki no kami." I smiled and curtsied.

Sasuke smirked, "So how are you two lovebirds? I here you're two months pregnant." He addressed Kurenai.

She glared at Sasuke, "You love gossip, don't you, Uchiha? Tch! Your mother can't keep a secret." She winked and rubbed her stomach. "We haven't decided on a name. Asuma wants a girl so he keeps throwing baby girl names at me." She chuckled softly and shook her head.

Asuma grinned, "Can't help it, I'll probably die waiting for seven more months." He mused quietly. "I do like the name Sakura, however."

I beamed, "It's a plain old name not fit for a child. Perhaps something more exotic?" I suggested.

Kurenai shrugged, "Perhaps. But let's not get too centered on ourselves. Our congratulations to the both of you, we hope that you will be turned quickly so we have eons of time to talk-ah, looks like the emperor and empress which to speak to you." Her scarlet eyes flickered to the side. "We will talk later, yes?" she gave a quick nod and a kiss on my cheek, "Welcome to the supernatural world!" with that she grabbed Asuma's hand and walked away.

I gulped, "Oh god." I squeezed Sasuke's arm, practically digging my nails into his skin.

"Ow!" he hissed and jerked away. "Sakura, deep breaths." He reminded me. "And smile! You look like you're constipated."

"You're hilarious." I bit back at him with a snarl and then we completely changed our expression and demeanor as the Royal family and their entourage approached us.

The Empress and Emperor and their entourage sidled over to Sasuke and me. I recognized the empress and emperor straight away but they were accompanied by 3 other people. One had gravity-defying silver hair with a mask drawn over the lower-half of his hair. The second was a brown haired man with the biggest coal black eyes I had ever seen. The last was a woman with short black hair and a kind smile.

The blonde haired, busty Empress smiled to Sasuke, "Thank you so much for this grand banquet! I forgot how beautiful Water Palace was." She said fondly.

The Emperor let out a hearty laugh, "With your old age, Tsunade, forgetting is going to be a very common thing." A vein in Tsunade's head twitched and she punched her husband in the arm.

"Anyways," Tsunade cut in, "It's very nice to meet you Sakura. I suppose you'll be turned soon and join our ranks." She assumed brightly.

"Er…" I hesitated and Sasuke jumped in.

"No, she has no intention of staying and I don't intend on forcing her to stay here. We are planning to send her back." He replied tersely. My stomach went queasy; I still wasn't sure about what I wanted. I was torn between staying or leaving the world that I had grown accustomed to over the few days.

The short-haired woman nodded understandingly, "Of course! We don't expect you to be so happy about joining us all of a sudden. It's your decision to make. My name is Shizune by the way. I am the Empress's advisor. I'm the goddess of poison." My eyes widened and she hastened to add, "But rest assured, I'm not spiteful or evil."

The gray-haired man chuckled, "So she says. Trust me, try being bonded to this woman, it'll scar you for life." he smirked and bent down to pat Shizune's shoulder.

She merely threw him an irritated expression, "This is my husband, Kakashi Hatake, he's the _Inuzuma no kami__, _god of lightning. I gather intelligence for Jiraiya."

The brown-haired man smiled, "Since we're getting chummy, it's my turn to introduce myself! My name is Yamato. I am the _Ki no kami_, god of wood. I run the affairs at the palace." he extended a hand and I took it with caution as he leered at me with his wide black eyes.

Tsunade smiled warmly at me, "How do you like the supernatural world? I trust you're adjusting well." her eyes were filled with worry.

"It's actually been pretty good." I answered honestly. "Sasuke, Tenten, Ino, Hinata, and Naruto are helping me adjust so I've been doing well. You needn't worry about me."

She grinned, "Of course, I do. What kind of ruler would I be if I just let you flounder around." she frowned. "I hope you haven't been getting much trouble about being a mortal."

I shook my head and just left it at that. She didn't need to know about Amaya's attempted poisoning. No way did I want to incur the goddess's wrath.

Jiraiya nodded, "Good. It was nice meeting you but we have to go mingle around for a bit more. I hope you have a good evening and it would be a pleasure for Sasuke and you to come over to our palace." he invited with a wink.

Tsunade concurred, "Yes, we'll have to have you visit. See you later, Sakura." she did a quick curtsy and turned to another goddess who was anxious for the Empress's attention.

I immediately relapsed into relief, "Whew. That was-nerve-wracking." I wiped my forehead.

Sasuke laughed, "That wasn't anything. I'm starting to think you have nonexistent stamina if you're sweating from talking." he shook his head with a small smile on his face.

I punched him in the arm, "So, anybody else we have to greet?"

As if on cue, a voice spoke. "So this is the new kid in town…" an amused chuckle came from behind Sasuke and me. We all turned around simultaneously to face a trio of siblings.

The woman that had spoke was intimidating and had a strong jaw line with her blonde hair back in elegant plaits. The man to her left had dark circles under his cobalt eyes which contrasted with the brick red color of his mussed hair. The man to her right had plain brown hair and eyes but he had purple paint artistically drawn out on his face.

Sasuke smiled wryly, "Temari. Nice seeing you and your brothers again, you guys haven't visited often enough." He clapped shoulders with the other two men. He then turned back to me, "This is Sakura, my—"

Temari cut in with excitement in her eyes, "She's your bride! It's so nice to see you! You're quite the beauty, Sasuke doesn't deserve you!" she smiled mischievously. "My name is Temari no Sabaku, I am the _kaze no megami_, goddess of wind."

I curtsied, honored to meet a goddess of such a high ranking. A goddess that manipulated an element was placed very highly. "Thank you; it's a pleasure to meet you."

The red-haired man spoke in a quiet whisper, "I am Gaara, S_una no kami_, God of Sand. This is my brother Kankuro," he gestured to the brown-haired man, "_Kōgei no kami_, god of craft." The man nodded in acknowledgement.

Sasuke gestured to the trio, "These three are the leaders of Sunagakure, Konohagakure's neighbors."

Temari grinned, "But don't give me any formalities!" she chirped in. "Prejudice against mortals runs kind of rampant in Sunagakure; we used to allow human sacrifices until Gaara did away with it." She glanced at her brother affectionately. "If you have any problems feel free to tell me." She cracked her knuckles, "I'll personally deal with them."

Kankuro chuckled and put his shoulder around me. It wasn't in a way that made me feel uncomfortable so I just looked at him questioningly. "C'mon, Sakura, you can tell us if anybody's giving you grief." He shot a wink at Temari while Gaara just rolled his eyes.

"Uh, well-I…"

"Oh, come on. We just want to help you out."

Temari and Kankuro both leered at me and I just blurted out, "That girl over there." I pointed to the girl in the puke green dress that had hissed, 'Slut' when I passed by.

Kankuro smirked, "Aah, Shirori, goddess of all that is green with envy. Temari, shall we?"

Gaara shoved his hands in his pocket, "Do you guys, have anything better to do?" he sighed in exasperation but made no move to intervene.

Temari chuckled, "You can hold off Kankuro, I got this one." She gave a flick of her wrist and a sudden wind gusted through the room lifting Shirori's green dress in the air, exposing her underwear. Kankuro let out a loud snigger and I immediately regretted telling them anyways, even if it was kind of funny.

Shirori turned deep red and she clamped her skirt down with her long, slender fingers. Everybody had noticed but nobody made a comment, they just turned away with small smiles on their faces. One person even air high-fived Temari.

"Thanks." I replied sarcastically.

The two siblings winked, "Oh, yeah! No problemo…" they chorused with identical catty smiles, plastered on their faces.

Sasuke shook his head and yanked me away, "I don't want you getting any ideas from them." He muttered.

I snorted, "What, you're afraid I'll expose your panties to the general public?"

"I have no idea what you're capable of." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes, "Yup. Never underestimate a human girl. Especially this girl, who knows all about Kuma, the teddy bear!" I sang out. His grip tightened on my arm, "Shutting up." I squeaked out.

"Ah, shit." He groaned out, suddenly.

My eyebrows rose, "What?" and then I saw where he was looking. A man with a similar face to Sasuke was approaching. I could only guess it was his brother, the one that got ousted by society for mingling with a mortal.

The man approached with an air of civility, "Sasuke." He nodded curtly. "I surmise this is your bride." His cold eyes observed me with interest.

I smiled, "Pleased to meet you, I'm Sakura Haruno." To be honest, I didn't sense anything hostile about him. From Hinata, I remembered that he had helped out mortals. I didn't see any reason to be scared of him despite his stiff appearance. "May I ask who you are?"

Sasuke glowered, "This is my brother, Itachi." He replied shortly.

Itachi extended a hand and I shook it warmly. I almost jerked back, his hands were ice cold. He saw me cringe and his expression softened. "Sorry, about that. I just came over from my palace. The climate there is more favorable to polar bears than gods." Itachi made a secret gesture to Sasuke. Was it some kind of secret brother code?

Sasuke turned to me, "Hey, why don't you go and find Ino, I need to talk to my brother for a second. Hopefully this won't take long." he stared at his brother and jerked his head to the left.

I shrugged and nodded, "Alrighty." Maybe they were going to make amends to their bromance. It didn't really bother me seeing as I was starving anyways, so I stalked off and headed to the refreshments. There were so many drinks that I didn't even recognize so I chose the most normal looking beverage and took a cautious sip. I nearly spit it out as it felt like acid spilling down my throat. "Gross, what the hell was that?" I muttered to myself.

"It's called Sakusan. Normally, only the old people are able to handle that strong stuff." A voice informed me from the right. I turned to face an older looking guy with slicked back, gray hair. His beady black eyes stared at me, giving me an once-over.

I glanced at him quickly and immediately felt uncomfortable. "Ha!" I laughed weakly. "Wish somebody had something earlier, I'm going to go wash this out of my mouth." I began to walk away but he caught my arm.

"Wait a second, I haven't introduced myself. He smiled slowly. "I'm Hidan. You know, I was watching you earlier."

I nearly gagged. If he was trying to sound like a creeper, he was succeeding. "Y-you were?" I nervously chuckled.

"Yeah!" he nodded eagerly. "Everybody's been talking about you. And it's hard to miss a beautiful girl like you." He took my hand, and I tried not to wrench it away. "Let's talk a walk shall we?"

I was about to shake him off but then I noticed his eyes. His eyes were wide and crazed as if he was mentally unstable. "I-I" I stuttered. What did he have in mind?

He put his arm around me, "C'mon Sakura, you wouldn't want me to do something bad to you, would you? I just want to talk." He grinned and he pushed me along the crowd of gods and goddesses. I was hoping that we would pass by Tenten or Ino but I couldn't catch a glimpse of any of them. _C'mon, where was a familiar face?_

"Where are we going to go?" I tried to ask pleasantly.

"You'll see." He answered simply. He led me to one of the isolated inner rooms that held extra beverages in case they ran out. I swallowed hard, could I run away? But he was a god that meant he had heightened reflexes; there was no way I could run away. If I tried to scream, I was pretty sure nobody was going to hear me.

"You know," he started casually; "You are really pretty. Uchiha doesn't really deserve you."

"Let's go to the party." I whispered. "They might be looking for me."

He shrugged, "Doesn't' matter. We have a few minutes." He lunged forward for me and mashed his lips against mine. Instinctively, I pushed him away. My blood was pounding in my head, blocking out all other sounds.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled out. The fear was gone replaced by disgust. "I'm bonded to Sasuke. I don't mess around and I sure as hell don't let guys take advantage of me." I moved to leave but I heard the door click as he locked the door with his powers. I whipped around, "Unlock it." I demanded with my jaw clenched tightly.

He didn't answer and just slinked closer, I moved back but hit the table that was stacked with bottles of water. My eyes widened as I realized that there was water. What the hell? I wasn't helpless, even if it was only a small amount, I could still distract him and make a run for it and call for help.

I focused hard and forced the glass surrounding the water to shatter. The water sprayed out in sharp bullets, piercing his back. His eyes widened in surprise and he hesitated. I shoved him off and lunged for the door. "Somebody!" I hollered while pounding on the metal door. Why hadn't anybody noticed my absence?

I felt a force push me away from the door and my body slammed against the opposite wall. Fear coursed through my veins as I saw Hidan stand up with his crazed eyes gleaming. He lifted his hand and he clenched his fist, I felt my heart being squeezed and I dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. I felt like all the air had been taken out of my lungs. "Shit!" I gasped out.

He came closer and I felt his hands begin to wrap around my neck. My vision began to blur, _why wasn't anybody coming?_ I tried to fight back furiously but he was stronger and he was bigger. My limbs began to slacken, _is he going to get away with this?_

"Guh-agh-ckk!" I heard Hidan let out a choked gurgle and his eyes bulged. His grip on my neck slackened and I shoved him away. I scrambled away and stumbled backwards.

I regained my breath and looked up to see Sasuke standing there, his eyes, scarlet with anger. "Get away from her, scum." He hissed out, his anger was clearly evident and he looked like he was trying to restrain himself.

I got up, weakly and stumbled over to his side. "Sasuke…took you forever."

He turned to me with a shake of his head, "You're such an idiot." he growled at me, he looked furious but I knew it wasn't directed at me.

Sasuke gave a flick of his wrist and the water from the bottles exploded outwards and wrapped around Hidan's neck in a chokehold. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" the water circling around his neck, began to tighten and I saw Hidan turn a shade of purple.

Hidan struggled for breath but then let out a high-pitched laugh and he tore away at the water-hold and lunged for Sasuke, punching him against the wall. The wall didn't have a chance against Sasuke's body; the damage was done to the concrete wall, cracks and dents forming around his body.

I let out a shriek, "Sasuke!" the anger flared up in me again and the water that had spilled around the room rose up in sharp bullets again and pierced through Hidan's legs. He crumbled to the floor and Sasuke heaved up from the dent his body made in the wall.

Sasuke used Hidan's hesitation and summoned more water from the storage, which rose in the form of a snarling dragon. The dragon, moved swiftly and its fangs bared, slicing into Hidan's arm. Hidan let out a short gasp as he fell to the floor, unconscious and dripping with blood.

Sasuke wiped the back of his bloody hand against his torn kimono and tried to regain his breath.

"First of all," he panted. "I owe you one for saving my ass. Second of all, you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do." He pointed accusingly at my fingertips which were now dripping with water.

It just occurred to me that I, a mortal girl, had cut Hidan's legs with water bullets in front of the all-powerful Water God that I didn't want to find out about my ability.

Oh boy, so much for keeping my bubble bending a secret.

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><p><span>AN: HI GUYS :) what's up, thank you so much for all your support! YAYAY 200 reviews (thanks you all of you especially my 200th reviewer, let's celebrate!

I really wanted to update this on Halloween but oh wells, it's here now, TADA! Hope you enjoyed it! Happy month of November!

If you want a storyline or something to happen in this story, suggest your ideas in reviews, I read each and every one of them so don't be shy :)

REVIEWER of the WEEK: SapphireRivulet, EHMAGOD. You made me crack up with you boob analogy. Gosh, that was so much better than my taco analogy. Karin is like a grandma boob, you're exactly right :) Thank you so much for enjoying my lame 'bubblebending' term. Hope you enjoyed this update! KISSES!

P.S. if you've already been reviewer of the week, you probably won't be chosen again, for a long time, I strive to have a new reviewer of the week every time. Just to share the love!

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THANKS SO MUCH

-WRITER4EVERR


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Ooh Baby…

Sasuke POV

_Flashback-_

_Itachi led me to a secluded corner in the front of the ballroom, he turned to me with an expression of anger and I instantly was on guard. "Sasuke, why haven't you gotten __rid__of her yet? Everybody's looking upon the Uchiha name with mockery, __and __after my stunt, they're not so quick to forgive a high-class family associating with mortals. You know better than this." He said the last part quietly._

_Fury flared up within me. "Shut up." I gritted out. "You have no right to lecture me when all your behavior got blamed on me. I don't want you around Sakura, got it?" I demanded, snarling._

_Itachi leaned back amused. "Don't tell me you like the girl."_

_I had to chuckle, "I don't see why you would care or why it would be any of your business."_

_My brother just gave a lazy shrug, "I tried to help, Sasuke. Sooner or later you will realize having a mortal around here isn't just bad for you but for her as well. If you really care for her then you'll send her back. Mortals don't belong here." _

_I wanted to retort back that Sakura could be turned but guilt washed over me as I remembered Sakura's face as she told me about her little sister back at home. It was a look of pure longing and loneliness._

_Itachi smirked, "Yes, that's right; she doesn't want to be turned immortal, does she? The only way we can preserve our family name and her life is to send her back. Listen to me Sasuke because this is for the best. I can talk to Ino—"_

_I shook my head, "What have you known about what's best?" I let out a bitter laugh. "All you've known how to do is screw up my damn life and look how that turned-"I let out a sharp hiss as a searing pain emanated from my right wrist. "Shit." I muttered and upturned my wrist to see the crescent moon glowing a hot red, as if the moon had been submerged in molten lava. _

_My blood ran cold as I saw the red hot moon. It was a signal that her chakra was being disrupted by an outside force. How the hell had that girl managed to get in trouble at a party? That girl...I whipped away from Itachi, "I'll deal with you later." I called back and then ran ahead. What the hell had she gotten herself into?_

_End Flashback._

SAKURA POV

My eyes blinked open as I tried to readjust to the bright lights shining through the windows. Wait, what the heck? When had I gone to bed? I sat up, looking around confused and saw that I was back in Sasuke's room. Sasuke was lying down, next to me, looking up at me with an expression of amuse, contempt, and exasperation.

I let out a loud groan when my head began to start a steady pounding. "Ugh, I feel like somebody ran over me. What happened?" I collapsed back on the bed, trying to remember what had happened.

"You fainted after I asked you how you could manipulate water." He reminded me dryly. "I thought you were faking so you wouldn't have to answer my question. So then, I spent a few minutes shaking you awake, but you weren't responding." He chuckled. "I just carried you to our room and left you there. I went back to the party and just told them that you didn't feel well."

I blinked once more, "Oh." The memories were rushing back in my sleepy haze. Hidan had tried to force himself on me and Sasuke had come in. "I fainted?" I repeated in disbelief.

"Yup." He replied. "You're body can't handle large amounts of manipulation. So you get fatigued easily. After your stunt with Hidan, I was surprised you didn't faint earlier." He reached over to flick my forehead. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I've been told that a couple of times." I grinned.

He looked at me crossly. "I'm serious." He leaned in closer. In my head I was practically screaming, "_Too close, too close!"_I swallowed hard and he continued with a disapproving frown, "You don't walk off with random gods, especially not Hidan, god of the mentally insane and psychotic serial killers."

I snorted, "Don't tell me that's actually his formal title."

He shrugged, "It might as well be. Now, tell me, when did you find out you could manipulate water." His gaze was focused intently on me.

"It happened a few days ago, when that Shifter attacked me, I was desperate and I guess the water just swirled upwards and defended me. I thought it was you, but you said it wasn't your doing. I just started practicing it whenever you left me alone." I paused and studied his expression, "You're not mad at me are you? I mean it's not like I could control it."

He just sighed, "Why are you so weird? How can you be immune to poisons and herbs and develop powers?" he shook his head in confusion. "It's like you're mean to be an immortal goddess." He murmured quietly.

My eyes widened but it occurred to me that I didn't really mind what he had said. Maybe what had happened to me was a blessing in disguise. Perhaps this was what my life was supposed to be from now on. "Do you really think that?" I whispered quietly.

Sasuke shook his head, "You're not going to be an immortal." He stated firmly. "It's too risky and you miss home. I'm not going to subject you to any turning process."

An ache rose in my chest as he said home. Home. What was that to me? This place was more of a home to me than my village had ever been. I hadn't told Sasuke about my parents, the horrible things they had done to my little sister…but then again, why did he have to know about that? The only reason why I was hesitant to stay was because I was scared for my little sister. Was she okay without me there?

Sasuke put a hand on my shoulder, he had smile on his face. He had misinterpreted my pause. "It'll be alright."

"Yeah." I responded distractedly. "So what happened to that creep Hidan?" I asked hastily trying to change the subject.

His eyes darkened with restrained anger, "I took care of him." He answered simply. "He's been exiled, he had it coming. This wasn't the first time he's tried something."

I sat up again with a resigned sigh, "Huh. Guess we won't be seeing much of him anytime soon."

"No we will not." Tenten's voice came at my side of the bed. I let out a shriek and jumped up. I swiveled around to face her with a glare which she retorted back to with a sugary sweet smile.

"Stop appearing out of nowhere!" I hissed. "And isn't there a lock on our door?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist, a water snake whipped out of his sleeve, its fangs aimed straight at Tenten. Tenten's hand shot out and caught it by its throat, the snake immediately dissolving in her hand. "Please, Sasuke." She scoffed. "I only came to talk."

"Mm." he rolled his eyes. "By the way, thank for telling me about Sakura's newfound powers." He said sarcastically.

Tenten shrugged, "She said not to tell anybody and I gave my word. I cannot retract my promise. Anyways, I'm surprised you didn't find out sooner. She was being so obvious about it. Who practices in a public bathroom?" she shook her head at my naivety.

I ignored her and swung my legs on the other side of the bed and hopped up, "So what are you here for anyways?"

Tenten grinned, "Why I'm tuning in for Episode 11 of Bride of the Water God. I swear you two are just so fun to watch, almost like a soap opera. I decided to stop by and just see what you two lovebirds have been up to." She waggled her eyebrows with a mischievous smile.

I threw my pillow at her but it bounced off an invisible barrier around her and was thrown back at my face. "Try again!" she sang out in a mocking tone.

Sasuke stood up, readjusting his kimono. "Get out, Tenten." He growled.

She pouted, "Sheesh, some people are just not morning people." She stood up with an air of flamboyance, "Alrighty, I'm leaving!" she complained while stomping out the door I heard her voice echoing down the hallway. "Shika-kun! Let's hang out, nobody wants to talk to me, I'm so aloneee!" she crowed out.

I turned to him, "No wonder you're so twisted Sasuke-kun, you had Tenten as your childhood friend." I grinned and hummed to myself while moving into the closet to change my clothes.

I rummaged around my side of the closet and pulled out one that didn't look too flashy. It was a light pastel green with an ivory obi. The kimono laced up in the back with a crisscross pattern. I pulled my robe off and then stepped into the kimono daintily, careful not to tear the silky material. Slipping my arms through the sleeves I realized how tight it was and that I wouldn't be able to reach all the way back to tie myself up.

"Shit…" I muttered and attempted to reach back but felt my fingers being swatted away. I tensed feeling fingers brushing against the small of my back while he was tying the ribbons. I began to relax when I realized it was Sasuke. "You know, you should announce your arrival if you don't want me to die of a panic attack."

I heard him let out a soft chuckle, "It's not my fault…you're just a lot more jumpy than the average person." His fingers went up as he tied the final ribbon.

I turned around to face him and planted my hands on my hips, "How do I look, presentable? Be honest." I put on my serious face and waited for his response.

He smirked, "The dress is pretty. You? Eh, you're all right."

I scowled at him, "Hey! That was totally uncalled for."

He leaned in closer so that our noses were practically touching, "I'm just teasing, by the way, come back here around 12, we're going to go somewhere." He spoke easily with a sly smile on his face.

I frowned, "Where are we going?" I asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. You trust me right?" his voice lowered huskily. My eyes closed and when I re-opened them he was leaning back with a bigger smirk on his face. _Oh that little-_ he _was playing me!_ "Don't be late."

That damn jerk. He had done it again. Why was he such a tease? I growled out at him, "You make it hard for me to trust you! Your whole dark and mysterious act is more mind-boggling than a turn-on." I hissed out through my clenched teeth.

"So you say, but your mind says differently. Remember our minds are interconnected. He held up his wrist, the crescent moon standing out on his pale skin.

I rolled my eyes I didn't have time to deal with him; I was starving for some bread and jam. "Right…well then maybe you know that I'm starving and I'm going to go eat." I retorted sarcastically, as if he really knew what went around in my mind.

"You're craving bread and jam." He replied with a smirk.

My mouth dropped open, "Get out of my head!" I demanded. I walked out and headed down the hallway. Maybe if I could get far enough away he wouldn't be able to tell that I was insanely attracted to him and his trademark smirk.

I stopped, hearing a quiet noise and turned around, straining my ears. The noise came again; it was like a soft little cry. I approached the noise, "Is anybody there?" I called out.

I walked closer and saw that the noise was coming from a small alcove in the hallway, I approached silently and saw that it was Hinata, curled up in a small ball holding back her tears but miserably failing. Her face was red and blotchy and her eyes were swollen, as if she had been crying for quite some time now.

"Hinata?" my mouth opened. I had never seen her like this. She was usually perky with a small smile upon her face.

She didn't look up, "I'm fine. Y-you can just go to breakfast." Her voice cracked and another tear slipped down her cheek. "I'll b-be right there. I just—"the tears were coming down harder, a whole torrent of salty tears dripping down her doll-like face.

I frowned, "Hinata, what's wrong?"

She just continued to sob and she clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to stop the loud cries. "I-I'm just so sorry for making you so concerned a-about this b-but I just need someone to talk about."

I now crouched down next to her and smoothed her hair back. "Shh, Hinata it'll be okay, you can talk to me." I tried to smile reassuringly.

She shook her head, "It's an ancient rule, we should have been more careful. I don't know what I was thinking to let this happen. I should have remembered my place. I'm just a handmaiden…If word gets out…" she stopped and paled at the thought.

I tried to cheer her up, confused by what was going on. "Hinata, look it's not the end of the world. Whatever you did, I'm sure you didn't do it out of malice or spite-"

"Y-you don't understand. N-Naruto-kun will be ruined. This isn't allowed, we broke the rules and the consequences will be great." She shuddered with wracked sobs.

My eyes grew wide, "Hinata, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" I persisted softly.

"We're both ruined…" she moaned mournfully and tried to brush away at her tears. "I couldn't tell Naruto. I just didn't want to see the disappointment." She hiccupped and breathed hard. "Sakura, I trust you." She whispered.

I reached for her hand and held on to it tightly. "I'll do my best to help you." I promised as I watched her frail figure shudder with silent crying.

She raised her slender fingers and let it rest on her stomach. With her other hand she gripped my hand tighter making me wince but I sat steadily, listening to what she was about to tell me. Her wide blue eyes narrowed for a second as she stared at me. She swallowed hard and then spoke in a hoarse voice,

"I'm with child."

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><p>AN: uh oh…somebody's preggo. Hope you guys enjoyed!

REVIEWER OF THE WEEK: JessiiNinja! Congratulations dearie! You should still like, Hidan, I just chose the most human looking out of all the Akatsuki members so i don't mean to paint Hidan as a creeper LOLOL I hope to have SASUSAKU do another fight together like a tag team so I hope you will look forward to that HAHA, thank you so much for all your reviews!

And my god…A LOT of you guys like KPOP. I've recently been listening to Tablo-Bad, Super Junior-A-cha, SNSD-Hoot, 2ne1-Go Away, GD&TOP-High High. ^^ my inner fan girl!

There's a new poll up on my profile!

ENJOY lovelies, WRITER4EVERR :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Here to Stay, Don't Make Me Leave

_Flashback – Sakura POV_

"_Sakura, it's you." My father announced with a sick, gleeful smile upon his face._

_I paled and fear twisted my stomach into knots. "I-I don't want to. Don't make me." I pleaded. "I don't want to go. I want to stay." I insisted._

_My mom sniggered. "Don't talk as if you actually have a choice in this. The shaman is offering us 200 gold pieces if we accept to sacrifice you. I'm hardly turning that down."_

_I shivered in my thin robe, "Don't you know what they're going to do to me?" I demanded through clenched my teeth. "The Water God is a horrible monster who devours mortals! You're going to put me through that?"_

_My father approached me, his face downturned with a glower. He raised his hand and brought it down on my cheek with a loud sting. I recoiled backwards. "The Water God?" he spat out with disgust. "He doesn't exist; everybody in the damn village knows that. They're so desperate they're willing to pin their hope on a myth!_

"_You're wrong." I whispered out._

_My mother shrugged, her bony shoulders rising up and down. "It doesn't matter. Whether there is a god or not we still get our money."_

_I was about to retort back but the door opened with a swing and my little sister, Sayuri stepped through with a bright smile on her chubby face. Her face darkened as she saw me on the ground. "Onii-chan?" she whispered._

_I covered the bruise on my face, "I'm fine, Sayu. Go to your room." _

_My father turned to his little daughter, "Sayu! Great news, Sakura has been chosen to be sacrificed to the Water God." He sang out._

_Sayu's bottom lip trembled and horror crossed her face. "Sakura-chan? Does that mean you're going to die?" _

_I tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace, "I'll be fine." I repeated. But it was more to reassure myself. Would I be okay?_

_My mother glared at me, "Do not lie, Sakura. Sayuri dear, she won't be fine. And yes, she will die. That's just how things will have to work out if we want to live happily. That's just the price we have to pay." She snarled it out._

_Sayu trembled, her body shaking with what I thought at first had been sadness but when she lifted her head, her face showed an emotion of pure anger. She launched herself at my mother and tore at her clothes and her hair. "I hate you! I hate you!" she cried over and over as my mother's yells grew louder and louder._

_I could only watch, frozen, my body wouldn't move. My father let out an angry curse and he shoved Sayuri off my mother's body. He swooped down like a vulture and picked up Sayu's little body. "I'll teach you a lesson." He roared out, his eyes bloodshot._

_My mouth moved, "Father! Don't hurt her!" I struggled to stand and chase after me but he knocked me down once more with a heavy blow of his fist. _

_Her wails and screams were the last thing I heard before I blacked out._

_End Flashback._

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><p>Sasuke POV-<p>

"I hate it." I replied boredly as a handmaiden showed me a sample artwork. "Tell Sai that the next time he wants to make a sales pitch, it better be worth my time." The handmaiden ducked her head meekly and fled the room.

I sighed; this was a complete waste of time. I was sitting in the foyer of my palace with Naruto. This morning I was supposed to be preoccupied with Sai's art show but all of them were different colored self-portraits. That guy was the epitome of narcissism.

Naruto snickered, "Harsh. Just the way you always are, you've never changed." He paused, "That is until Sakura-chan came."

I raised an eyebrow, "How so?" I demanded.

"Eh, come on Sasuke. You've gotten soft." He pointed a finger at me in an almost accusing way. "She's making your heart all warm and squishy!" he poked me in the ribcage.

I rolled my eyes and let out a disgusted scoff, "Idiot, my heart's not there." I shook my head, why was this guy my best friend? "I'll be on my way, it's almost 12."

He blinked, surprised. "What about preparations for Ino's birthday? I thought we were going to get her present."

I groaned as I remembered that it was her birthday in 2 days. "Yeah, about that…I'll get started on it tomorrow. I have to meet Sakura today." I replied shortly.

"Oohh…that's right. You have your date with Sa-ku-ra." He teased. "See? I'm right; I've never seen you take anybody to your secret garden. She's special!" he sung out in a high-pitched voice.

God, could he get any more annoying? I eyed the glass of water he was holding and narrowed my eyes. The glass of water exploded with pressure, and water sprayed out onto his face and kimono. Naruto let out a loud yelp but as the water touched his skin, it immediately dried. I glared at him, "Damn, fire god." I muttered.

He snorted, "Don't act like you didn't know that was going to happen." He paused and was silent, a rarity when talking about Naruto Uzumaki. "H-have you noticed anything different about Hinata?"

I shrugged and looked at him curiously. "Where did this come from? Are you guys having trouble?" Naruto and Hinata being together was no secret even though it was looked down upon. However, they had been together for so long that it was hardly scandalous news.

He shook his head, "Nah. She's just been avoiding me lately. I think she may be-pregnant." His face was devoid of any color. Naruto knew what that meant if Hinata was pregnant.

I stopped and grabbed him by the collar, "Are you serious?" I hissed. "Naruto, you said you wouldn't do anything stupid. This qualifies as being stupid!" I growled out. Having a baby born when both parents were unbounded marked the child as a bastard. Having a bastard child spelt out trouble and people would not turn a blind eye to something like this.

Naruto growled, his eyes glowing a ruby red and his teeth sharpened into fangs. Pushing me off of him he let out a feral growl. "I know what it means! She hasn't told me yet. I found the pregnancy test, it was positive of course. Besides, you never know. We might bond before the baby is born." He insisted defensively.

I let out an exasperated sigh, "Listen to yourself, Naruto! 'Might' bond, this isn't guaranteed."

He scowled, "What does it matter? Screw the damn rules that were made during Pervy Sage's time. I don't need rules telling me when I can start a family or not."

My eyes hardened, "You know it's not as easy as that. We're a society built on traditions and ancient rules. They're not going to all of a sudden agree with your reasoning." I replied fiercely.

A soft knock came at the door and Hinata's voice echoed over the silent din, "Naruto-kun. Can I come in?"

Naruto swallowed hard, "What do I do?" he snapped. "Am I just supposed to ignore what I found?"

I cursed under my breath, "Just tell her the truth. Honesty is the best policy." I offered lamely.

He glared at me, "Wow, thanks Confucius. Now my problems are ALL solved."

I shrugged helplessly and just called out to Hinata and let her in. She bowed once she saw me and as she caught sight of Naruto, the color vanished out of her face and her lips parted. Nothing came out and she glanced at me but shook her head. She tried once more and this time the words _came_tumbling out of her mouth. "Naruto-kun, I'm pregnant."

My jaw dropped and Naruto was speechless hearing the words out of her own mouth. "H-Hinata…" he couldn't say anymore and Hinata winced at his reaction.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I didn't know how to tell you but just say it. It was stupid of me to think that this wouldn't happen. I can get rid of the baby if you-"

Naruto grabbed her by the wrist, "We're not getting rid of the baby." He stated confidently and firmly. "We're keeping it, I don't care if we're not bonded yet." He declared.

She went wide-eyed, "Naruto-kun you don't have to do this." She insisted.

He gave her a light smile and gave her a kiss on her cheek, "I want to keep this baby, screw everybody else." Hinata's cheeks tinted a bright red and her hand trailed unconsciously down to her stomach.

A hesitant smile graced her face and she nodded, "Alright." She whispered.

I cleared my throat, "Well, I guess now would be an awkward moment to offer my congratulations, nonetheless, congratulations." I scratched the side of my head, "Guess, I'll get a move on." I nodded awkwardly and stepped out of the room when Naruto and Hinata resumed talking.

I immediately caught sight of Sakura who was staring bemusedly at the ceiling while leaning against the wall. She straightened up when I came out, "How did it go?" she asked anxiously.

I frowned, "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be up in our room?"

She rolled her eyes, "Forget about that real quick, I was helping out Hinata, did she tell Naruto or not?" she demanded with a haughty flip of her pink hair.

My lip curled, "You're just so stubborn and impatient. Yes, they're okay."

Sakura let out a huge sigh of relief, "Ah, that's good. I was so worried for her, she was a wreck." She muttered while chewing on her lip.

My eyebrow arched, "She went to you?"

"Well, yes." She shrugged, "Actually I heard her crying and got her to tell me what was wrong. And she told me about the-er-baby. Why is it so bad for Naruto and Hinata to be together?" she demanded. "I find it stupid they can't be together." She growled angrily. "Don't you run this place? Can't you do anything?" she searched my face desperately.

I shook my head, "I just run this palace. There's a very strong hierarchy in our society. I don't think I would be able to change all of our traditions."

Her upper lip, jutted out, as it usually did when she was in deep thought. "I see…" she said with a trace of a smirk on her face. A scowl came over my face when I realized what she was thinking.

I rolled my eyes, "Sakura. The society already does not think well of you. You can't be possibly thinking of trying to change things."

She shrugged, "I don't like it." She stated firmly.

Letting out an exasperated sigh I grabbed her by the arm. "Look, I don't either. We'll come up with something, but, right now…it's time for your surprise." I grinned wickedly.

She looked as if she was going to say something further on the issue of Naruto and Hinata but she closed her lips together. "Alright, what is the surprise?" she ventured with a cautious tone.

I smirked, "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."

Sakura looked at me warily. "Why do I all of a sudden feel very cautious?" she wondered aloud in a teasing manner.

I looked down on her, "Hold on tight." I warned.

Nodding she clung tight to my robes, her knuckles turned white. "Got it." She breathed out.

My eyes closed and I let out a small hiss, feeling the chakra well up within my veins, surging around and circulating throughout my body. Wind whipped around or bodies and it swirled upwards, her cherry blossom locks whipping into my face. I felt my body lift up the floor for a moment and then, I felt the ground underneath me once more.

Opening my eyes, I saw that her eyes were still glue shut, her teeth chattered with the breezy wind still stirring up the air. My hands traveled to her shoulder and I shook her gently. "You can open your eyes now." I exhaled out.

SAKURA POV

I peeked out from underneath my eyelashes and gazed around me with a child-like wonder. We were in a grand garden, but none like I had ever seen before.

Vibrant colors blinded my vision as slowly uncurled my fingers from Sasuke's kimono. I walked around slowly taking every plant, flower, tree in. Large trees with thick, sturdy trunks hung overhead shielding the sky; its green leaves a colorful green. Large plants curled upwards to the heavens with little colorful buds peeking out behind the stem. And the thing that drew Sakura's attention straight away was the flowers. Tulips, roses, daises, violets, chrysanthemums, and sunflowers covered the ground in a thick blanket.

"It's…I'm….speechless." Sakura breathed out. "It's like a little Eden." She twirled around looking at everything with careful observance.

Sasuke walked to her side, "It's as old as me, my mother cultivated at the time of my birth, and I've been maintaining it for her ever since I was able to walk."

I glanced at him with a small smile playing upon my face, "Uchiha Sasuke is a green thumb? I keep learning new things every day." Grinning, I bent over to examine a small red flower that had delicate petals fanned out around a light green stem.

"What's this flower called?" I asked, interest coloring my tone.

He plucked it from the ground and held it up, looking at it solemnly. "This is called the Misery Flower." He answered shortly.

I looked up at him, confusion crossing my face, "The Misery Flower?" I repeated. "Why?" I persisted.

He threw up the flower in the air and as the flower glided back downwards in his palm, he fisted his fingers together, crushing the small red petals. The red juice trickled down his skin, like a bloody stream. His eyes went blank, "This is the flower that allows a mortal to turn immortal." He answered me quietly.

A silence followed and I struggled to reply back. "The Misery Flower…" I repeated once more.

He looked upwards, "The chances of surviving after ingesting the Misery Flower is 1 in 10000. Most do not care of the consequences; they are driven for their want for eternal life. This flower has caused so many deaths. The chances of becoming an immortal are slim, but people are willing to gamble their lives. They lose, of course." He chuckled mirthlessly.

"Is that why you don't want me to stay here and turn?" I enquired softly.

He slowly nodded and unclenched his fingers letting the broken flower fall to the ground. "There is no way that I'm going to risk your life." He bit out evenly.

I was silent for a second. "Does that you mean you care for me?" my eyes widened as I surprised even myself for asking him this. I still wanted to hear his answer.

He cocked his head to the side and stared at me with his onyx eyes, "More than I'd like to admit." He smirked with a bitter smile on his face. "You need to go back to your village." He ordered softly. "Before I grow even more attached to you, if that happened, I'd be more tempted to turn you." His face was inches apart from mine and I felt his hot breath on my face.

"I don't want to go back." I declared slowly.

His eyes went wide with surprise, "You don't want to go back?" he repeated with disbelief.

I nodded once. "Don't make me go back." My tone was almost begging. "I don't want to go back, I just want to stay." The thought of home was distant; the only thing that mattered was being here because I felt more alive here than I ever did when I was back home at the village. I would get Mikoto to protect my little sister back at home. But right now, I wanted to escape that part of my life; I never wanted to go back there. I wanted to stay here with Sasuke. If that was the wrong thing to do, it sure as hell felt like the farthest thing from wrong.

He stepped back and uttered a low curse under his breath, "Do you know how difficult that makes this?" he demanded in a low voice. I ignored him and shrugged.

All thought left my mind and I stepped closer to him, my hands found their place on his broad shoulders. Sasuke let out a small hiss and shook his head, "Sakura. I already told you why this can't happen."

"I wasn't listening." I replied with a small smile, only meaning to tease him just a bit. I was carefree now, my mood lightening considerably.

He glared at me and for a second I thought that he was going to lecture me once more but he leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine with such force that nearly put me off balance. Sasuke pulled apart and I breathed hard, trying to regain my breath. I grinned, "Why can't this happen again?"

He smirked and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "It's complicated." He replied hotly. "I'll explain it you later. Is that alright with you?"

My breath caught in my throat as he leaned down again to kiss me feverishly.

What did he think I was going to say? NO? Hell no.

This was alright with me on so many levels.

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><p>AN: Hola mi amigaaas :) What's up? I've been gone for a little bit longer, hope you guys didn't mind! Here is chapter 12, ENJOYYYY!

FYI: Sakura is 19. Sasuke is 251 years old, BUT he looks like a 22 year old. Itachi isn't all that evil, he'll be more in this story and so will the whole pregnant Hinata plot. It's not done yet, don't worry :) !

REVIEWERS OF THE WEEK:

FUYUMI-CHAN- Thank you so much for your review! I honestly don't deserve half of your compliments but thank you anyways :) it is always appreciated. BTW, yes we can be friends HAHAHA I meant to PM you but I forgot so I'll do it soon! Hope you enjoy the story and continue to support me ^^

Finish line- thank you also for your really kind words! I'm glad I had you squealing, swooning and …twitching. No idea why you were twitching LOLOL , I hope that's a good thing. I'm also touched that you read this at four in the morning? I mean c'mon you need the sleep! Don't waste your precious sleep on this! And OMG, if you could draw a doujinshi on this *_* I would be so…effing happy and excited. PLEASE DO IT. MUCH LOVEEE!

LOVE YOU ALLL,

XOXO, writer4everr


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: correction to the previous chapter! I said that Ino's birthday is in 2 days, but I meant 2 weeks. Oopsie! The chapter is set 2 weeks ahead of the last chapter, so it's her birthday. Now that that's all cleared up…ENJOY! :)

Chapter 13: A Little River of Betrayal

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><p>SAKURA POV:<p>

"So what exactly do I have to wear to this party? I want to look nice." I informed Sasuke with a child-like attitude.

He viewed me with a smirk, "You could always go naked." He suggested dryly.

I scowled and threw a kimono at him. "Oh shut up." We were getting ready for Ino's party and right now, I was driving myself half-insane deciding what to wear.

"I'm serious!" he grinned leaned down to rub his lips teasingly over mine.

Rolling my eyes, I moved away from him. "You're a horrible liar, has anybody ever told you that?" He shook his head and rummaged through my closet trying to help me. My mouth quirked upwards as I realized how funny it was that a Water God was helping me decide what to wear.

He tossed me one, "Wear this. White always works." he suggested.

"Huh." I examined the pure white kimono. "So I'm taking a page out of the Sasuke Uchiha Fashion Handbook, now?"

Sasuke threw a glare at me, "You asked me for help, remember? Don't start insulting me."

I saluted him with a goofy grin on my face. "Yes, sir!"

A smile played on his lips and he lifted me by my waist to kiss me once more, but with more tenderness this time and I just about melted into his touch.

"SAKURAAAA, SASUKEEE!" Tenten's loud voice echoed outside the door to our bedroom. "TIME TO GOOO!" she hollered.

I was about to hop down and answer her call but Sasuke held me in place by my waist. "Ignore her." He murmured, moving his lips to the base of my neck.

"B-But, we have to go, it's Ino's birthday." I reminded him, though really, who the heck cared? Ino would have so many birthdays in the future….right now; I just wanted to stay here.

"Yeah?" he whispered. "What's five minutes? She'll go away."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Uchiha." Tenten's voice came to the side of us and I immediately shoved Sasuke's warm body away in surprise.

"Tenten!" we both growled out in synchronization.

"Ooh! Loved the harmony there!" she replied in a playful manner. "Did you really think I couldn't hear you guys if you whispered? Now, stop making out in your closet and get your butts out! We have a party to go to!" she ordered. "Mush! Mush!" she yelled out.

Sasuke stood up to adjust his kimono. "I really hate, you, Tenten." He muttered out.

Tenten shook her head with an angelic smile upon her face. "Sasuke-kun, we all know you don't really mean that. And as much as I love that you're conquering your phobia of cooties and you finally have unleashed your inner testosterone-crazed teenage boy, I really don't want to let Ino-chan down!"

Sasuke muttered something intelligible and I sighed, "Let's go."

We really needed to get some locks on our door.

* * *

><p>HINATA POV:<p>

My hand traced over the slight bump that curved my stomach. Over and over, my fingers lingered over that little area of skin. It was so smooth, so still and in just a few months it would be kicking from the inside. In just a few months I would give birth to a little child. In just a few months I would be ruined forever.

My teeth clenched painfully tight together. Why couldn't I be damned mortal and have 9 whole months instead of the measly 5 months that immortals had to give birth to a baby.

I felt a hand grace my shoulder softly. My body shook with the cold wind whipping around my shoulders. "Yes?" I called out softly to whoever was behind me. I expected it to be Tenten or Ino but the familiar voice put me off guard.

"Hinata, please stop hurting yourself with all this, you should be happy." Mikoto's bright voice came from behind me. I jerked upwards and stood up hastily to curtsy.

"Milady! Forgive me! I'll get straight to work-"Mikoto shook me gently by the shoulders and she put a hand on my back and rubbed it up and down soothingly.

She put a stern look on her face, "Hinata, please calm down. Do you really expect me to be on your back about work when you're pregnant?" she demanded. "This baby is important and you need to be in tip top shape, darling!"

The tears started to come out at the corner of my eyes but I sniffled hard trying to hold back the droplets of saltwater. "T-thank you Mikoto-sama, I'm just s-scared of all the talk, the rumors, the gossip." I kept on blubbering on trying to hold myself together but failing miserably.

She pulled me closer, "I know, darling, I know. But the only thing you can do is to throw up your middle finger up at them and go live a happy life with Naruto-kun. Forget them." She whispered fiercely.

I gave her a teary smile, "That sounds nice." I was hesitant, venturing hesitantly into the idea of a fairytale ending.

Mikoto smiled warmly, "Hinata, no matter what, we're not going to just let you be ruined. You have Naruto, Sasuke, Tenten, Ino; you have people willing to stand by you. You can't ever forget that. Do you understand me?"

I nodded silently, "Yes Mikoto-sama."

She beamed, "Good, darling. Now, I want you to take yourself to Ino's party and enjoy yourself. Not too much though!" her eyes widened in alarm. "No drinking and absolutely no endangering that little kicker!"

I had to let out a little laugh at that and nodded over and over, "I will. I will take care of my baby." I whispered firmly. And I really meant that. I would take care of this life growing inside of me. For Naruto.

For me.

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><p>INO POV:<p>

"Happppyyyy birrrthdaaaayy dearrrrr Inooooo. Happy birrrrrrthdaaaayyyy to youuuuuuuuu!" The screechy, out of tune notes was music to my ears.

Having all your friends around you and knowing that you will never die or get old. You will always live forever with your friends and have an infinite amount of memories. Not that I'm bragging or anything, but I would never change this for anything.

We were all situated in one of Sasuke's ballrooms gathered around one table that was weighed down with cake and presents. Sasuke, Sakura, Tenten, Shikamaru, Hinata, Naruto were all there.

Naruto stretched out the last note in a falsetto and planted a big kiss on my forehead much to my mock disgust. Shikamaru shoved him away with a scowl as he saw this and placed his hand on my shoulder, possessively.

"Blow out all 244 candles!" Naruto crowed happily.

I glared at him as he emphasized the huge number 244. A huge circular cake was presented in front of me with all 244 candles spaced evenly across the frosted surface.

Tenten let out a low whistle, "Wow, Ino. Next year, we should start calling you baa-chan." She snickered playfully and hit me on the arm.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Except, you're a few years older than Ino. Remember?" he questioned dryly. "Or are you too old you can't remember a thing?" he smirked.

"Yeah!" I stuck my tongue out at her and inhaled a large amount of air and exhaled it with a huge gust effectively killing out all 244 buds of light.

Sakura let out a cheerful shout, "Happy birthday!" Everybody murmured their congratulations and placed their gifts near the cake.

Tenten shoved her gift in my face, "Open mine first!" she barked out.

I laughed, "Chill, Tenten." Her expression darkened and I quickly took the gift. I unwrapped it eagerly and lifted the lid of the box only to find a scrap of paper. I lifted it with irritation and read it.

_I give you my love. AKA I was too __lazy to __actually buy __you __something._

I crumpled the piece of paper in my hand and threw it at her which bounced off her shoulder as she collapsed in giggles. She struggled to form a coherent sentence, "Y-Your Face!" she laughed loudly and high-fived Naruto.

Growling, I shoved the box off my lap. "Next!" I demanded.

Tenten sniggered and tossed a small package in my lap, "This one's from Shika-kun."

Shikamaru groaned, "I would prefer it if you opened it in private." He muttered to himself.

I scoffed, "Nonsense. All gifts will be open here." I stated in the best professional voice I had. I opened it with caution to find…a bundle of knitted yarn?

I held it up, with every second ticking by I could feel my vein popping out. "What. Is. This."

Sakura held it up, "I believe…it's some sort of mitten." She guessed.

Shikamaru nodded with a sage look upon his face. "Right, you are. It's a mitten, rather an unfinished mitten."

"You didn't finish it?" I asked in a low, deadly tone. How could he? This was my birthday? Inwardly, I sighed. This was Shikamaru we were talking about. I wasn't even surprised, to be honest.

He shrugged, "I wanted to finish it together. You know, teach you how to knit and then we could spend time together." He replied in a flat tone as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

My heart began to warm up until I heard Sasuke snicker, "Nice save, Naara."

I stood up, annoyed. "Does anybody have a present that is at least halfway decent?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! I forgot to grab your present from my room! I'll go grab it real quick." she got a quick nod of approval from Sasuke and fled the room in a rush.

"Well thanks guys." I commented sarcastically. "You guys are making this sooo memorable."

Naruto grinned, "We're just doing what we do best, Ino-chan!"

Sakura came back in with a bright smile holding an elaborately wrapped gift. She handed it to me with cheeks tinged pink, "I hope you like it." she offered shyly.

I took it with a laugh, "It can't be worse than Shikamaru's." I joked. "Thanks Saku-chan! You are officially my favorite person."

Tenten glared up at me, "Hey! Really? Right in front of me?" she demanded.

I shrugged with a playful smile on my face, "Sorry Tenten you're still stuck at spot number 2."

Sakura retreated back to her spot next to Sasuke and eased down onto the couch. She gave him a short kiss on the cheek and looked away with a grin on her face.

I rolled my eyes, "Really you guys? Let's keep it PG here."

Sasuke's eyes held a mixture of amusement and confusion but he nodded and grinned, "I'll try to." He promised.

I scoffed, "Yeah, right. Anyways, time to open my presents!" Clapping my hands together gleefully I proceeded to tear away at the loose wrapping and soon held a small box in my hands. Opening it carefully, I was surprised to see a hairpin nestled safely in the box.

Sakura smiled, "What do you think? I made it myself, well, Sasuke had to help me out, but I made it more or less with these two hands." She let out a high laugh and put up her hands to emphasize her point.

Sasuke glanced at her strangely but just shrugged and grabbed another sip of wine.

I took it out gingerly and placed it in the strands of my blonde hair and admired my reflection in the glass table. "I love it. I really do love it." I replied softly. The rosette beamed and moved forward to give me a friendly hug.

She let go of me and then her eyes brightened as she remembered something, "Sasuke! Can you hand me my satchel?"

He seemed spaced out, looking at her intently. She cocked her head to the side, "Hello? Earth to Sasuke?" she waved a hand in front of his face and he snapped back to attention."

"Oh." He muttered under his breath and tossed her satchel expertly.

"Thanks Sasuke!" she chirped and dug around in it pulling out a matching hairpin. "Look, now we-"

"-Sakura." Sasuke interrupted in an icy tone.

She glanced over, "Mm?" she asked curiously.

Sasuke stood up slowly; his finger clenched tightly together, his knuckles white. I noticed this and tilted my head to the side, "Sasuke? Something wrong?" my voice sounded uncertain as I studied his expression. It looked like he was considering something very carefully but at the same time looked like he was trying to restrain himself.

Sakura rose in concern and stood next to him, her hands placed on his shoulders. "Sasuke, you're scaring me…are you okay?" she repeated with an edge to her tone. It sounded like anxiety mixed with fear.

Everybody was quiet, tension in the air, waiting for something to happen. Naruto shifted to the side uneasily and watched his best friend for any sign.

The raven-haired man lifted up his head, his eyes as cold as steel as he viewed the rosette before him. She flinched backwards as the intensity of his gaze hit her. "S-Sasuke?" her voice shook out.

"Don't. You. Dare." He gritted out through his teeth. Shock washed through me as his loud words resounded throughout the room. I moved forward to pull Sakura towards me but Sasuke grabbed her by the wrist, holding her frozen in one spot.

It happened way too fast for any of us to react to. A water snake shot out of his kimono sleeve, its fangs sharpened and aimed to kill. Sakura's eyes widened in horror and she tried desperately to wriggle out of his grasp but to no avail. The fangs sank deep into her bosom relishing in the thick, red liquid that now spilled out in slow drops.

Naruto's mouth opened, his eyes frantically looking at me. Looking for an answer behind Sasuke's actions. I could only stand there, chills going down my spine at the cold, unemotional way Sasuke had struck Sakura down.

Sakura's jade eyes were frozen open as she let out a strangled gasp, "Ah!" Her eyes fluttered close as blood gushed forth from the wound, staining the pure white kimono.

Sasuke's eyes remained expressionless as he watched her fall to the ground, blood trickling down her mouth. Sakura choked out one word that seemed to resound throughout the entire room to reach everybody's ears.

"Why?"

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><p>AN: ...all together now..."OMGOMG WHY SASUKE? WHYYY?"

…all will be revealed. Hopefully soon LOLOL :)

REVIEWER OF THE WEEK:

PrincessLazyPants- glad you love my story but studying should come first! (JAYKAY, I'm one to talk LOLOL) but thank you so much! I also really appreciate your advice to not make references to modern-day things, sometimes I forget that this is an old-era thing! So thank you so much for that and I look forward

Also special mention to SADsasukefan ! thank you loveee :)

Hopefully I'll update soon. Hopefully.

MUCH LOVEEE, WRITER4EVERR


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Kick-Ass Team

INO POV

The silence lasted for a quarter of a second before Hinata let out a horrified, blood-curdling shriek. Her face was as white as a ghost and her lips parted as she viewed Sakura's body fall to the floor in a bloody mess. Dropping down to the floor she tried to apply pressure to the wound but Sasuke yanked her away.

"Sakura, Sakura!" she cried out, tears falling down her face in an angry stream.

"Hinata, stop it! That's not her!" he growled out, angrily. She struggled in his grasp attempting to escape his hold.

"It can't be!" Hinata wailed out. "She asked you, 'Why?'!" the handmaiden insisted. "How could you?" she punched against his chest, trying to help the mortal before her.

Sasuke repeated firmly. "It wasn't her. I'm positive." His voice rang out; truthful and even Hinata sensed it. She stopped struggling and tried to calm herself down with little deep breaths.

"Th-then who is this?" she whispered out. The tears still fell as she looked at Sakura's body in disbelief.

My eyes widened in surprise. That hadn't been Sakura? But, I hadn't noticed any change in her chakra change or anything weird…how had Sasuke known? Could it be that it had been a "Shifter…" I breathed out.

Naruto's attention snapped towards me. "Shifter?" he repeated, astounded.

I went into action drawing out a small satchel from the inside of my kimono. I opened it rapidly and took out a pinch of the powder and threw it at 'Sakura's' limp body. As soon as the small grains of powder fell on her skin, her body arched upward becoming animate.

Her head was thrown back and the pink color faded from her hair and faded to a brassy brown and her jade eyes snapped shut and reopened to reveal glowing red, demonic eyes. The female shifter stood up shakily with a cruel smirk drawn upon her face.

The shifter snarled and leaned back on its haunches attempting to leap up in the air but was frozen in its spot. It was my turn to smirk and I held the satchel up for her to see. "The powder in here will limit your movement." I informed her, leaving out the part that I didn't know how long it would last.

The shifter let out a furious shriek and I could see her muscles tensing as she attempted to break free of the magic.

I turned to Sasuke, "Hurry up." I muttered under my breath.

He nodded and gestured to Naruto, Tenten, Shikamaru and I. "Go into full mode." He commanded.

Tenten tilted her head to the side, "Just for this small fry? Complete transformation is not worth it." She complained.

Sasuke turned to her with a snarl ripping out of his throat, "We're going to find Sakura with force." He stated in a deadly tone.

She shrugged and cracked her knuckles, "Alright then, let's hurry up and get this over with."

My lips curved into a smile, complete transformation, eh? This would be fun.

I felt the chakra well up inside my veins and spread down to my fingertips and toes. The power was tangible, filling every inch of my body. I let out a primitive growl and viewed my reflection in the mirror. My eyes had turned to a brilliant golden and I opened my mouth to examine the fangs that now protruded from my mouth. Perfect.

I looked around to see that the others had transformed as well. Sasuke's eyes were now a cold silver with ancient markings covering his arms. Tenten's face was now covered with markings identical to Sasuke's and her golden eyes gleamed brightly as she viewed the Shifter in front of her. Naruto's eyes were the same demonic red with fangs sharpened at the ready. Shikamaru's eyes were blank, pure white and his hands were now claws, I could smell the bloodlust that was emanating around the room.

The shifter put on a confident smile but I could see that she was trembling slightly. For good reason too, an immortal in transformation was one not to mess around with. 6 immortals in transformation and you were dead.

Gods, Goddesses and Witches normally went around in their human forms but transformation revealed their true appearance and allowed them to use their powers without any limitations. However with the added power, bloodlust came along with it heightening our want for a fight and inexperienced immortals tended to get out of control. However, I had done this for so long the bloodlust hardly affected me. I was in perfect control of myself.

Naruto moved first, leaping up and landing behind the shifter. I heard two loud cracks as Naruto snapped the Shifter's arms behind her back. She let out a shriek of pain and tried to shove him off of her but she was still paralyzed.

I let out an oath seeing the bonds of the magic slowly start to peel away, "She's going to be freed soon!" I cried out to Sasuke. The powder was one time use only.

Sasuke hissed out and raised his hand. Water spurted forth from the ground and formed a sphere around the shifter. "Where is Sakura?" he snapped out.

"Ha! That girl, she's dead by now!" the shifter bit out with a wicked smile.

A hand formed from the water and stretched out around the shifter's neck. "One more time." Sasuke repeated. "Where. Is. She." His jaw was taut and his eyes were dark with bloodlust.

"She was taken back to the cove." The shifter spewed out as the hand grew tighter and tighter, fearing for her life.

"Good." Sasuke replied simply. His fingers tightened and the hand around the neck tightened as well, a loud snap was heard and the Shifter's body fell to the floor, the head bent at an odd angle.

Tenten sighed and stared at the corpse that now lay on the floor. The body began to crackle and decay with the stench floating around in the air. "Well. That was unnecessary." She sighed again with irritation.

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Tenten's right. You need to control your bloodlust, Sasuke. We'll find Sakura." He promised.

Sasuke let out an impatient growl. "Now. I need to get her-"

"-this isn't good." Hinata interrupted her face turned pale again. She was looking outside the arched windows and her hands were trembling.

Naruto's eyes cooled down back to its normal cerulean blue. "What's wrong, Hina-chan?" he asked with worry coating his tone.

"Shifters. They're invading the palace." She whispered.

I ran to the window to see what she was talking about. Sure enough, a band of shifters were climbing the walls of the palace, several bodies of the guards were strewn around the ground. My hand rushed to my mouth. "My…god." I tried to swallow back the bile as I viewed the massacre. Fury rushed through me and my chakra welled up inside of me. "How dare they desecrate holy ground?" I growled out.

Hinata inhaled sharply, "I-Is that Sakura?" she asked in horror. She trembled, pointing out to a shifter. I drew closer to the window and saw a bright pink color. I squinted, seeing that she was draped over a shifter's shoulders.

She wasn't moving. I found my voice and clutched at Sasuke's kimono frantically. "S-Sasuke…she's not moving!"

Shikamaru shook his head, "She's probably just unconscious, we can't jump to con-"

But it was too late, Sasuke was furious. He let out a livid snarl and jumped out of the window, spraying glass shards over our bodies.

"Sasuke!" Naruto hollered after him. Sasuke wouldn't turn and he lept down to the gates of the palace, facing the shifters with hatred.

I turned to Tenten, "That idiot." I muttered. "You and Naruto go down and assist him. Hinata, Shikamaru and I will ensure that all the servants are okay and we'll fortify the palace's security."

Tenten smiled wickedly, "Of course. Naruto are you ready?"

He nodded, "Just say the word, Tenten-chan." Tenten gave a brief nod and lept up into the air and somersaulted out of the window and landed out onto the pavement gracefully. Naruto followed suit jumping out of the window and landing with a thud on to the pavement.

Hinata turned to me, "Should I alert Mikoto-sama?"

I shook my head, "She probably already knows. You best set protection spells around the palace doors."

She nodded timidly and murmured a spell quietly and disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves.

I let out a breath and nodded to myself. This was nothing. Just a small shifter invasion, we were going to crush them.

"This is turning out to be an eventful birthday." Shikamaru cut into my thoughts. "Sorry about all this." He murmured.

I turned to him with a grin, "It's alright…way better than staying cooped up in the palace." I stood on my toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed his hand.

"C'mon, let's go kick some ass."

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV<p>

My head hurt. That was all I could comprehend. There was a slow, steady pounding in my head and I blinked rapidly as I came back to consciousness. I dimly remembered walking out of the party and then somebody had come up behind me…I jolted up immediately and found that my body simply just slumped down again, as if my bones had been reduced the jelly.

"Sakura!" somebody called for me distantly and I tried to respond but my mouth wouldn't move along with my brain. Instead, a garble of gibberish came out of my mouth and I tried once more to say something, anything.

A closer voice spoke in a high giggle, "She's up, boss! What shall we play next?" My eyes swerved upwards to see a little girl with adorable corkscrew curls and wide blue eyes. And then my eyes traveled to her flouncy white dress which was stained with blood splatters.

A deep voice spoke in a quiet rumble, "Release the spell on her." He commanded. I couldn't see the man that spoke but the girl who was still in my sight let out a long sigh and complied. She raised her hand and chanted out a spell.

Almost immediately I felt invisible shackles release their hold on my wrist and the feeling returned to my legs and arms. I sat up and let out a small groan at the returning pain in my head.

She bent down to stare at me curiously, "So you're the Sasuke-kun's bride!" she extended her hand and smiled brightly, "Momo's my name!" I took the hand uncertainly and felt my hand being burned by a sharp pain. I snatched my hand back in fear and pain.

Momo snickered, "Honestly, mortals are just so stupid." She giggled, "Look, Sasuke-kun came to save you!" she crowed out and pointed over. I struggled to sit up and leaned over to see where she was pointing at.

Relief flooded me like a warm current as I saw Sasuke standing there with his jaw clenched angrily. Naruto and Tenten stood behind him with indifferent stares upon their face.

The girl, Momo, snickered. "He's mad, I can tell. He wants to rip our heads off for taking his precious bride. But we told him that if he rushes us, we'd kill you." She clapped her hands together, joyfully.

Irritation flickered within me and my eyes immediately caught sight of the ponds that lined the edge of the palace. I stretched out my hand to the water and saw with triumph that the water moved up towards me and I moved my hand in the direction of the little girl in a cutting motion.

Immediately, the water followed and cut against the girl's face in one rapid move. Her mouth parted into an 'O' as the blood trickled down her face. Her finger moved up to catch the blood and she examined it with child-like interest. Her tongue slid down her fingers to lap up the trickling blood. "That was quite mean of you." She stated casually.

I blanched, this girl…she was affected by nothing. My blood ran cold and I turned on her, trying to make sense of my situation. "Why, why did you take me?" my voice trembled.

Momo smiled, licking up some more of the blood up. "To be honest, I have my own reasons for wanting to kill you. I was the shifter that you managed to hit when you first came here."

Recognition flickered through my mind, "That was you?" But now she was just a little girl! That had been a monster, a beast earlier.

Momo grinned, "Remember me now? Anyways, that's my reason. But what we're really after is Sasuke. We heard that you're his weakness and shifters want to take advantage of that."

"What do you have against Sasuke?" I demanded.

"Oh…just that he cut off our water supply after we played a simple prank on his witch." She rolled her eyes and I could tell by the tone that it was anything but a simple prank. "Well, playtime's over. Let's get serious, shall we?"

She raised her hand, the skin coloring into a deep brown and claws formed at her fingertips. "It was nice meeting you." She stated solemnly. She raised her clawed hand and made one swiping motion across my shoulder.

I let out a little gasp at the sharp pain. I felt a crack, the gush of blood and I struggled to stay conscious and block out the pain. "Sasuke!" I screamed out. _It __hurt;__ it hurt why wouldn't the pain stop?__!_

I heard her giggle, "My claws are cursed such that once hit by them, the pain will never stop. You'll either die from the intense physical or mental pain. I'll let you choose-AHHH!" she gave a pain-stricken shriek as she was thrown to the floor by a blur.

I clamped down on my shoulder and saw that Sasuke was on top of her. But something was different about him. His eyes were silver and he was covered with black markings. He let out a vicious growl and knocked her across the pavement, her face covered with dirt and blood.

"You dare, break your oath with a god!" he snarled out. "You said if I didn't move you wouldn't harm her. I should have known better than to trust scum like you." Water whirled above him like a deadly tide that would whip out at any time.

Momo got up shakily and motioned for her shifters to listen, "Attack them." She hissed out through clenched teeth. The shifters nodded and lept up to attack Tenten and Naruto. Tenten grinned wickedly and cracked her knuckles, pulling out a sword and holding it at the ready.

She wiped the blood near her mouth and made a hand sign. Her body twisted and cracked as she morphed into a beastly creature with bull horns and fangs.

Sasuke let out a bitter laugh, "It doesn't matter what you transform to. You're dead to me." His eyes flashed and chills traveled down my spine.

"S-Sasuke." I whimpered out. I hated to sound so weak, but the pain wouldn't stop. I didn't care about Momo; I just wanted it to stop. "Forget about her, can you get Ino to stop the pain?" I clutched onto his shoulder for support.

Sasuke turned back to me, his eyes faded back to the familiar onyx. His swore softly and tore the sleeve of is kimono for a makeshift bandage. I took it and wrapped it gingerly around the wound. "I can't just leave it like this. She hurt you." He hissed out with anger in his eyes.

Sasuke turned to call to Tenten who was in fighting two shifters. "Tenten, heal Sakura!" he called out seeing that Momo was approaching.

Tenten rolled her eyes and jumped atop a shifter's shoulders, "Kind of busy here! Give me a second!" she let out an irritated growl and pulled out a sword and stabbed it clean through its chest.

The shifter let out a low growl and I saw its body twist as it morphed into the form of Neji. She let out a whimsical laugh, "You'll have to do better than that!" she sang out and just pushed the sword deeper into its heart. The shifter let out its last groan before it collapsed to the ground, dead. Tenten sprinted over to my side and pushed Sasuke towards Momo, "Take care of her, I'll heal Sakura and get her back to safety."

Sasuke gave a quick nod and turned his attention back to Momo, his eyes cooling to the killer silver. He lept up into the air and with only his fist managed to knock her into the air. Her body came crashing down onto the pavement and Sasuke lunged at her for another attack.

Tenten yanked me by my chin, "Hey, I wouldn't watch this if I were you." I heard the crack of bones and I struggled not to look. She smiled, "Don't worry, that wasn't Sasuke. Trust me, that girl has no chance." She took my shoulder and put a hand over the bloody wound.

"Kono jaakuna kizu o iyasu." She muttered over and over and her hand glowed bright white, I could feel the aching pain come to a stop and the wound closed, the blood no longer flowing out. I let out a breath, "It doesn't hurt anymore." I commented with awe.

Tenten fell back on the pavement and I noticed with concern that she was panting with exertion. She shook her head, "Damn. I spent way to much chakra." She cursed, "Are you okay now?"

I nodded hurriedly, "I'm fine, what about you?"

She shrugged, "I'll survive. I just have to restore my energy but that's going to have to wait." She grimaced and stood up, pulling me along with her.

I protested, "Are you-"Tenten's eyes widened and she grabbed me, pulling me up into the air and then landing 50 feet away.

I saw the reason why she had pulled me away as Momo's body came crashing down at the exact same spot. Sasuke came leaping down and landed right next to her body. I saw with dread that he too was covered in blood and cuts covered his cheeks and arms.

I stumbled forward trying to pull him back, away from the danger. "S-Sasuke." I called out hoarsely.

Tenten grabbed my hand and squeezed it comfortingly, "He's okay." She whispered.

I swallowed hard watching Sasuke summoning another tidal wave and washing it over Momo. She let out a blood-curdling scream as the water filled her lungs and Sasuke jumped up to narrowly avoid the sharp claws that she blindly thrashed out.

My heart lurched and my mouth opened on its own accord. "Don't you dare die Uchiha!" I screamed out, maddened by the sight of him dripping with blood.

I yanked away from Tenten's hold and ran as fast as my legs would carry me over to Sasuke. I could hear the distant, defeated yell of Momo as she fell to the ground, never to move again. I could hear Tenten yelling for me to stop. My ears were filled with the sound of fighting and yelling but I only saw Sasuke with blood all over his clothes and a surprised expression across his face as he saw me stumbling towards him.

I felt my feet leave the ground as I tackled him to the ground. He let out a muffled groan and I looked down to see his half-amused and half-distressed expression.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV<p>

It felt like I was moving in a dream when I fell backwards and she landed on top of me. I saw her face and I knew that it was her for sure. It wasn't some shifter posing as her. I had to laugh as I saw our position, "You say you don't want me to die, yet you tackle me to the ground." I say dryly.

She just smiles in relief as she hears me talking, she looks past the blood and the dirt smeared all over my face and she is just happy that she hears me teasing her. "You're really okay." She says in disbelief.

"I'm not that fragile." I scoff. She grins and leans down to kiss the bride of my nose like a little child.

"You're okay." She murmurs again as if she can't believe that I'm still alive.

Her smile makes my next words catch in my throat but I see the wound on her shoulder and I see the blood smeared all over her white kimono and it makes me swallow hard.

She was in danger because of me. Because she was brought here. She says she doesn't want to return but she doesn't know the danger in staying. I can't bring myself to admit that if she had been killed today I don't know what I would have done out of anger…

I repeat back to her the words that are sincere. "I'm okay." I reply faintly.

And I _was _okay at that moment. Even with the blood dripping down my face. Sakura was still alive and that was what made all the bruises and blood okay.

* * *

><p><span>AN: ohmy…I know that was a little OOC of Sasuke but I hope you still enjoyed it! Here's my thanks to you guys! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you guys eat a lot of turkey and food because I AM hehehehehe^^

I truly am thankful for each and every one of you that take your time to review, alert, favorite or just read it! You guys have given me a total of 330+ reviews and it just makes me so grateful that you guys appreciate this story! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)

LOVEE, WRITER4EVERR XOXO


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Slowly and Slowly I'm Gone

SASUKE POV-

"So, lemme get this straight. A shifter impersonated me?" Sakura demanded with her jade eyes wide.

She was sitting in our bed, wrapped in blankets with a towel over her forehead. On the bedside table sat a bowl of soup and a bag of sweet candy. Mikoto had tended to her wounds and made sure she had plenty of warmth and food to eat.

I nodded tiredly, almost nodding off to sleep. Being up for hours on hand should have been no problem for me if I hadn't consumed so much chakra battling psychotic shifters. "Yeah," I replied. "She really did."

She absorbed that tidbit of information for a little while and then stares at me with an intense gaze. "How did you know it wasn't me?" she asks curiously. "Was it because i'm way prettier than the fake?" she teased.

I snorted, "This bond between us, it's a lot stronger than you think." Taking her wrist I trace the crescent moon etched upon her pale skin.

Sakura leaned back, and raised her eyebrow, "Would I be able to know who you are?"

I shrugged, "It depends on how strong you feel for the other person, how well you know them, how much you want to find them."

Smirking she replied, "Then in that case, you're screwed." she teases.

Glaring at her I hissed back, "I was screwed the minute I was bonded to you."

Sakura grabs a pillow next to her and she whacks me on the top of my head. "Ow!" I growl out. "I was kidding!"

She leans back down with a satisfied smile, "Aah, I feel so much better now." Her expression changes, "I'm kidding. In reality, I would be desperate to find you." She confesses with a half smile and moves forward to kiss me softly.

"Yeah?" the words can barely make it out of my throat.

She nods, her eyelids getting heavy, "Mmhm, it would be a sad thing to lose one another." She says softly.

My fingers clench tightly and I get up hurriedly, "You need to get some sleep." I suggest and put a hand over her eyes so that they close. "I'll be back soon." I promise.

Sakura makes a small gesture with her head to acknowledge that she heard me. "Don't be long." She murmurs and then she's completely silent, fallen asleep.

I stand up feeling hollow. _It would be a sad thing to lose one another. _She doesn't realize the immense truth in those words. I walk out of the door, dragging my legs along. _Should I-? _I mused to myself and felt myself bump into somebody.

"Sorry." I muttered quickly and looked up only to see Itachi. Great. Just the guy I didn't want to see. "Itachi." I greet coolly.

Itachi nods, "Is she okay?" he asks with actual concern in his eyes. Instead of feeling touched, the anger just flares up within me. _How can he just stand there?_I'm fuming angrily even though I know my anger is unreasonable.

"She's fine." I answered in a clipped tone.

"Sasuke," he says quietly. "You need to send her back to wherever she came from. You know that."

I shook my head stubbornly, "You don't know that. You don't know what I need to do or what's best for us." I snarl out, but I can hear the voice of reason. Itachi is right. She's in danger if she stays any longer here.

Itachi smiled sadly, "You're so attached to her already, if you cling on to her any longer it'll be harder to let go. The shifter coven might strike back and want revenge. When that happens we can't just hope that she'll stay alive."

"I-I know that." I hiss. "I know that! I know that she's a mortal. I know how fragile her life is." I slammed my fist against the wall.

Itachi watched me quietly and just nodded in his infuriating calm demeanor, "Good. Then you know what to do." He replied softly. He stepped aside and walked past me.

And for once I was going to acknowledge that he was right. I did know what to do.

INO POV-

A short knock came at the door of my shack and I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Who was still up at this time? I let out short call towards the door,

"Go away! I'm busy!" I pulled out a glass of alcohol and took a deep gulp of it. Different food and drinks helped gods recover from chakra depletion. Alcohol was the one thing that helped me regenerate. So yes, maybe I was a semi-'alcoholic' bit it was for health issues!

"Ino, it's important!" I whipped towards the door as I recognized Sasuke's voice. I stalked towards the door and opened it, still holding my glass of alcohol.

He stood there with a bemused expression and he eyed my glass of alcohol. "Late-night drinking?"

"Uh, something like that, trying to replenish my chakra." I replied distractedly. "Anyways, how can I help you? Love potion that you need whipped up?" I teased.

He scowled, "Unlike you, I don't rely on love potions to get around. I need you to cast a transportation spell and a memory draining ritual." He blurted out.

"Oh who?" I snorted. "Some rabid fan girl who's obsessed with you?" I grin but then frown noticing that he didn't smile back.

"I'm using it on Sakura." He says simply.

My eyes widen in shock and I drop my glass in surprise. "Shoot!" I mutter and wave a hand over the shattered mess. The glass reassembles by itself and refills by itself. The cup shoots back into my waiting hand and I place it on a nearby table.

"S-Sakura?" I choke out. "Why?"

"It's too dangerous for her to stay here. After what happened with the shifters-"

She cut in shaking her head, "Sasuke, you know that was a freak accident, right? That's not going to happen again. Sakura will be fine. We don't need to send her back." She insisted.

SASUKE POV

I laughed bitterly, "We're being selfish if we think like that. Sakura is mortal. She can die." I hissed out. Why didn't she get that Sakura's life was finite. She wouldn't be around forever. "And I'm not going to change her." I stated decisively.

Ino snorted, "You hypocrite! You say not to be selfish yet you didn't even ask Sakura's opinion in the matter. Did you even ask her about wanting to be changed?" she demanded. "Did you?"

I faltered but not for long, I leaned forward with my eyes narrowed, "No. I didn't. But I'm not willing to risk her life just for the slight chance that she'd be able to stay here forever." I retorted angrily.

"See?" she pressed. "That's just the problem. What if she's willing to risk it just so she can stay with you? Did you even consider her feelings in this?" Ino inhaled deeply and tried to calm herself down. "Sasuke, I know that you care for her and you don't want her to die. I understand that."

"Then why won't you perform the spell?" I snapped.

Her eyes closed. "My allegiance belongs to you. I do what you wish, Sasuke." She sighed. "I will perform the spell if you command. All I'm asking is that you think this out some more before you make this decision."

My fingers clenched together, drawing blood. "I-I've thought this through. I've been thinking about this the whole night. Perform the spell." I ordered mechanically.

Ino's lips pursed at my decision but she complied and turned to gather the necessary potions. It was true that Ino was under my jurisdiction, being in my kingdom but the fact that she was my friend and she didn't agree with my choice had shaken me up.

Perhaps, I really didn't know what I was doing. But, it was for Sakura. That was what it was for. To keep her heart beating was the sole reason I was doing this.

Ino moved forward and opened the door. "Let's go."

I nodded but grab her wrist and stop her, "Ino, I know what I'm doing." My onyx eyes bore into her blank cerulean eyes.

She merely pulled away as she uttered two words, "Do you?"

Sakura is still sleeping soundly when we entered the room. Ino nudged me forward and hissed in my ear, "Cast the spell."

I obliged her order and muttered a quick spell, "_Kikoenai."_ A spell to keep her asleep so she didn't hear us while we performed the spell.

I walked to her bedside to see her peaceful face as her chest rises up and down rhythmically. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "It'll be alright."

Ino closed her eyes and reopened them revealing golden eyes that glow eerily in the dark. "I'll have to do it this way, seeing as how she's immune to every goddamn herb and poison." She muttered and took Sakura's wrist. Her mouth extended open and her fangs perched upon Sakura's delicate skin.

"Do it." I whispered faintly.

Ino nods shortly and the fangs pierce the skin. I inhaled sharply seeing blood flow out of her wrist but soon, the red, thick blood changed to a silvery substance that oozed out. Ino withdrew her fangs seeing the silver liquid. Ino wiped her mouth and took out a small jar from her bag and let the silvery liquid fall into the jar with soft little plops.

"Those are all her memories from her time here." Ino informed me quietly, watching the liquid spill out. A lump formed in my throat as I saw it all seep out of her body. I realized that once the liquid was all gone, she wouldn't have a clue who I was. She would never recognize me again.

Slowly, the stream of silver begun to wane and the dripping stopped. Ino leaned forward and placed a hand over the wound, sealing up the cut. "It's completed." She breathed out.

"Do you want to do anything else, before I send her back?" Ino asked in a soft whisper.

I wanted to just shake my head and just tell her to send her back before I did something I regretted. But my body moved by itself, moving up towards her still body. I gently held her wrist and took one last look at the crescent moon and felt a pang go through my body. We would always be bonded but she would never know me again. She would probably be married, have a family, grow old and die like she was supposed to. She was never meant to be taken out of her life and turned into an immortal.

"Hopefully, I'll see you later." I whispered out in a pathetic tone. It was a futile thing to wish for. Once I sent her back, she was gone.

"But, until then, goodbye."

I drew away from her and nodded, "Perform the spell." I said faintly, "Perform it now."

Ino moved forward and her hand moved in a flurry of hand signs over Sakura's chest. A yellow light emitted from her hand and it slowly enveloped Sakura's body so that she was completely immersed in a pale golden light.

Ino's eyes flickered to Sakura's jade eyes. "Goodbye, Sakura." She murmured quietly. Her eyes closed and she began muttering a spell. "_No sekai ni moduro, No sekai ni moduro, No sekai ni moduro."_

Sakura's hands first began to fade away into the thin air and it took all my willpower not to grab her hand and keep her from going. I clenched my jaw together and tried to keep myself together. And then her legs were fading away, her abdomen area, her chest her shoulders, her face. They were all becoming blurry pixels on the bed and disappearing out of sight.

My eyes blinked together for one second and when they reopened, the bed was empty. Devoid of the human girl that had been slumbering there not seconds ago.

Sakura was really gone. She had gone back, so why didn't I feel relieved? Why was I only feeling emptiness? My frustration grew in a tight coil that suddenly snapped, "Dammnit!" I roared out and punched the wall next to me, I was faintly aware of the blood that began to spill out my knuckles but I disregarded the pain.

Ino just sat there with the jar of silver liquid. "Sasuke." Her tone was warning.

I breathed hard; I knew it was going to be hard to see her leave. I had known that but it was important to remember that she was safe now. She was far away from the shifters and would live a normal life. She was okay and I would just have to cope with her absence.

I would just have to.

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV-<p>

"Hey, lady, are you okay?"

"Lady?"

"I think she's dead…"

"Don't say that!"

"What? She's not moving…"

"Should we tell mama? Oh! Look! She's moving! She's not dead!"

My eyes blinked open and I saw two kids standing over me with a handsome man about my age accompanying them. The first kid was a little girl with bandages all over her body and bright blonde hair that was separated into pigtails. The second kid was a chubby boy with tufts of red hair and small squinty eyes.

"Wh-where am I?" I asked blearily.

The little girl grins and I saw that her two front teeth were missing. "We're at Kodokuna Village." She informs me.

I jolt upwards, that's my home village! Hadn't I been sacrificed to the water god? Chills ran down my spine, the water god. A god who supposedly devoured maidens so that villages could get water.

The man smiled charismatically, "Are you okay? We can take you back to the village if you're lost." He offered graciously.

I faltered and looked at him again. I was so confused. I knew I belonged to the village but it still felt so wrong.

What was I doing back here? I had been sacrificed the night of the new moon so what day was it now? "What is the day?" I mumbled to the kids.

The boy speaks up, "It'll be the full moon tomorrow."

I froze at his words, "Are you sure?" I turn to him confused. "But it was just the new moon? Are you sure?" I demand again.

The boy nods up and down, "Of course, I'm never wrong!" he pouts and looks at my water-drenched clothes. "Who are you anyway?" his nose wrinkles.

The man looked at me with concern, "We'll take you back." He promised. "The name's Kiba by the way."

"S-Sakura." I replied shakily and smiled at his chivalry. "Thank you so much…"

"Hey!" the little girl shouted. "You were the sacrifice! I saw you there." She pointed at me with scrutiny. "You're the one that got sent to the evil water god." She whispered in awe.

Kiba shooed her away, "Sorry about her. But _are _you the one that got sacrificed to that demon?" he asks in a low voice.

I nod slowly, "I was." But my mind was racing. _Had I been sacrificed? How was it that I couldn't remember anything?_

_What the hell?_ _How could it be?_ Panic overtook me, it had been a whole month since I had been gone and yet I couldn't remember anything during that time. Why was that? How had I gotten here? I stood up shakily, my mind swirling with questions. One question was at the front of my mind right now.

_What the hell had happened to me?_

* * *

><p>AN: hope you enjoyed! This is a super short chapter but that's because the next chapter will be way longer to compensate. Thank you to all the reviewed, you guys make my heart fuzzy :)

Any questions on the plot or if you're confused about anything just leave them in your reviews, thanks lovesss :)

*no sekai ni moduro literally means return to your world.

THANKS,

WRITER4EVERR


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Just a Little Sliver

SAKURA POV-

I gripped Kiba's arm and struggled to get out a coherent sentence, "I-I need, I need to get back home. My sister…" I pulled at his arm urgently.

The little girl pulled at the little boy's hand, "C'mon, let's go." She whispers quietly looking at me with fear. "Mama always says not to talk to somebody involved with the Gods. They bring bad luck."

The boy peered at me with cautious eyes, "She doesn't look dangerous." He mumbles grumpily.

She rolls her eyes, "Let's go." She pulls at his arm and scurries away, pulling him by the arm while he glances back at me one last time.

"Bye lady!" he calls in a cute voice. I smile weakly but my expression changes once he turns round and heads back with his older sister.

Kiba looks back at me sheepishly. I could tell that he was visibly embarrassed by what had just happened but it had hardly affected me.

"I need to get back home." I repeated.

He nodded, "I'll get you there. Where do you live?" he asked promptly.

The irritation grew within me, "My father is Takashi Haruno." I breathed out. "Can you get me there or not?" I snapped. He flinched back at my harsh tone but I didn't feel any remorse. I needed to get back home. My sister had been left with my parents for a month without me. I was trying not to imagine what she was going through.

Kiba hastily put my arm over his shoulder, supporting my weight and led the way back to the village. I saw the familiar path, the familiar trees and shrubbery. But it felt strange. I felt a sense of alienation. Why did everything seem so withered? So dead? I blinked once and an image of a lush garden flashed through my head. There were tall, thick trees that branched out across the sky and the ground was covered with flowers. I blinked again and then sparse weeds were all I could see.

"…_it's called the Misery Flower__…."_ A voice rang out in my head. I let out a pained groan and clutched my head. It throbbed painfully and I stumbled in the midst of the path.

My companion stopped immediately with concern bright in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

I straightened up shakily, "I-I'm fine. Just some weird head rush." I muttered. _What had that been? Whose voice had that been? What was that image I had seen?_ Frustration grew, why was I so out of sorts? "Let's go." I murmured. Perhaps, the sooner I was back home the more things would make sense.

We continued on into the village and I caught sight of my house just a few hundred feet away. I stopped abruptly chills going down my spine and memories flooding back into my mind of all the years of abuse I had taken from my parents. "I can go from here." I whispered hoarsely.

Kiba let go of my arm, "Are you sure? It's not problem if you need me to accompany you." He suggests anxiously.

I shook my head fiercely, "I'm fine." I whispered through clenched teeth. "I want to see them by myself. Thank you, though." I add hastily. I was grateful and I probably would go back and see him again. There was no way I would stay in that hut I had grown up in.

He grins, "No problem. I'll check up on you later, in case you need me." He walked away hesitantly and waved goodbye but I ignored him. My mind was solely focused on that little hut.

I walked towards it, mechanically. I can barely believe this is happening. I can't prepare myself for what their reactions will be. It scares me deep inside and fear rises in my chest, constricting my lungs. "Y-you're better than this, Sakura." I whisper aloud.

My feet approached the house and I see a head of pink hair sitting by the door. A single name went through my mind.

Sayuri.

"Sayuri!" I shriek out like a mad woman. I see her but it feels like a dream because she looks healthy. She looks fine. She looks safe.

Her little head rose at the sound of her name and her pink mouth opens up in surprise and her eyes widened. "Onii-chan?" she faintly whispered. She stood up unsteadily and I nearly knocked her down as I enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I'm here." I whispered over and over. "I'm here." Sayu started to sob and I felt the salt water drip down the front of my kimono and my own face.

Her warm body clung on to me tightly, "Onii-chan, you're alive!" she whispered in awe.

I pulled back with a teary smile plastered on my face like a fool. "I am. Have you been okay? From mother and father…." I added with a hesitant look upon my face.

She faltered with a frown upon her face, "I-I've been with auntie this entire time. They took me away from mommy and daddy." She says softly. "I'm just visiting mama, I worry about her." She said in an uncertain voice.

Relief washed over me, "Th-they took you away? Who?" I demanded. Our aunt was a kind woman who had tried to intervene but could never provide sufficient proof that our parents were unfit to raise us. My dad had always passed off my injuries as being clumsy.

"The shaman." She whispers in a low voice. "They caught daddy trying to hit me." She confesses with wide eyes. I let out a sigh of relief and somehow I knew this is the work of the gods. They had saved my little sister while I had been gone.

I inhaled deeply, "Sayu, I'm glad you're here, but don't visit here anymore. Once you're gone you need to never come back here." I looked into her eyes and gripped her shoulders firmly. "You understand?" I ask gently.

Sayu nods timidly and she clung onto me again, "You're here…" she says in a muffled voice. "You're alive, Onii-chan." I laughed and pulled her closer to me.

"Sakura?" a sharp voice interjects with shock intermingled with horror. My blood ran cold as I recognized that voice. It was the voice that I had heard since the time of my birth.

I let go of Sayu and looked up to see the haggard face of my mother. I stood up and whispered to Sayu, "Go back to auntie." I push her along and she leaves hesitantly looking back every few steps.

"Promise you'll be back for me, Onii-chan." She whispers.

I nod shortly, "Go on, I'll be there." Sayu's little fists tightened together as she walked away and my attention completely shifted to the woman in front of me.

I breathed deeply, "Mother." I replied curtly. I couldn't bring myself to look at her directly.

She ignores my greeting, "What are you doing here?" she speaks hoarsely. "You're supposed to be dead!" she hisses out.

Bitterness bubbles up in my throat, "I'm supposed to be dead? I suppose that would have made you happy." I snort. "But, I'm not. I'm back." My eyes flicker to the barren hut and her impoverished state. "I see those gold pieces you got in exchange for my 'death' didn't help you out much, either."

She snarled at me but I didn't flinch at the violent sound. "You're father gambled it all away." she replied pathetically. "And now he's gone, wasted himself and run out of town. Are you happy about that?" her voice chokes up. "Are you glad to see your horrible mother destitute and poor?"

My eyes sting, "I was never happy about our misfortunes." I insisted. "It's not like you ever stopped father from hitting me. I never hated you mother but at the same time I couldn't bring myself to think about you fondly when all you did was stand there." I stated flatly.

She was lost for words and just stood there. She just let out a faint whisper, "How are you back? I thought you were gone, for sure." She says it like she's confused and frustration flares up in me. She's confused? What about me? I was supposedly sacrificed and lost a month's worth of time!

I just looked at her frail state and now the tears start to fall. "I-I don't know. I'm confused and lost and scared!" I choked out miserably. "Why can't you just be like a normal mother who comforts their daughters when their scared?" I demanded through tears. "I can't remember a thing and I'm scared of being alone." I trembled out.

My mother stands there, shaking with her frailty. "I'm sorry." She says softly.

They say that 'sorry' means nothing, but to me, those two words meant everything. They conveyed a sense of uselessness, desperation, and genuine sadness.

She let out a sad laugh, "I loved your father so much that his poisonous behavior changed me as well. It made me into this." She gestures at herself pathetically. "It made me into somebody that was never fit to be a mother to you and Sayuri." She thinks to herself for a moment and I interject with anger and confusion.

"Why? Why did you realize all this just now?" I demanded

She stared at me with a blank expression. "Because, Sakura." She explained in a patient-motherly tone. I shivered at the strange tone. I had never heard her speak like that. "You start to realize what you had when you have nothing." Her words are hollow.

I felt numb at her words. She moved forward and I am as still as a statue. She places her wrinkled hands on my arms and stands on her toes to brush her lips over my forehead. I didn't dare breath or move. I just met her stare head-on.

"I'm sorry. I never was cut out to be a mother and for that I apologize."

The warmth of her hands disappeared and she turned to walk away and walk into her little house leaving me alone. I realized with a piercing ache in my chest that that was the first and the last moment that my mother would ever show me affection in my entire life.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV<p>

_Itachi approached me in the dark night and my instantaneous reaction was to stiffen. "What are you doing here?" I demanded harshly. "I sent her back like you wanted me to, there's nothing else you can lecture me on."_

_My older brother looked at me with tired eyes, "Sasuke, drop that bravado. I know that you're hurting."_

_The same old irritation and frustration was threatening to escape my calm demeanor. "You always know everything, huh?" I chuckled bitterly._

"_It's hard to see them leave. Mortals give immortals a sense of feeling that can't be felt being cooped up in the supernatural world. It's hard to let go of that. Perhaps, you two truly were meant to be together, I hope for that to be true. But, I didn't want you to be hurt when she died. Her mortality got in the way of things." Itachi's smooth voice somehow comforted me but the feeling of loss still ached in my chest._

"_Th-The things you say…they're true and all, but it still hurts." I admitted to my older brother._

"_It will always hurts." He replies quietly. "The bond still connects you two. You'll still feel the moments of her grief and sadness but over time, it'll fade, the connection will weaken. You'll just be left with that mark."_

"_That's it?" I hissed. "Just a stupid old mark?" _

_His lips tightened into a grimace, "Just a stupid old mark." He echoed._

My eyes flashed open as I lay in bed. But I hadn't slept a second. The continuous panging in my head wouldn't allow me too. I was sick with the feeling of loneliness.

A knock came at the door and Hinata's head poked in. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Where's Sakura-san?" she chirped brightly.

Annoyance twisted in my stomach. Why was she so damn happy? "She's gone." I replied flatly.

Hinata's eyes widened and her voice went back to its normal timidity, "Gone?" she repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"I sent her back to the Mortal World." The truth of the statement just hangs in the air. She really is gone.

She paled and rushed forward to me. "What do you mean you sent her back?" she demanded. "Why did you do that?"

"I sent her back. Wasn't that what everybody wanted?" I yelled out harshly. She flinched but I continued on ranting, "She's safe! Shifters can't travel to the mortal world! Isn't everybody happier that way?" I demanded. "Aren't we all just happy now?" I snarled out.

Hinata's mouth opened, "Sasuke! Stop it!" she placed her hand on my shoulder but I just shrugged her off.

"I'm done with this." I muttered. I headed towards the door but I heard the lock click.

Hinata's voice rang out angrily, "Sasuke. Calm down, talk to me."

I turned around to face her, "There's nothing to talk about. She's gone. She won't remember a thing." The words fall out of my mouth and I just keep talking, "Itachi was right. He told me to send her back and that's what I was planning anyways. It doesn't matter. It was bound to happen." I shrug carelessly. "I had Ino send her back and drain her memories.

She trembled, "You involved Ino in this?"

I glared at her, a rare thing that never happened. Nobody ever glared at Hinata that was like abusing some cute little puppy covered with flowers and rainbows. "She's gone." I hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm done with this." I repeated in a flat tone.

She was silent for a second but she regained her composure. "You're," she began, "You're such a liar." She whispered. "Stop hiding it and keeping it pent up, it's only hurting you."

I rolled my eyes and laughed at her, "Oh great! Another shrink! Just what I need. Thanks but not thanks. Everybody thinks that they know what I need to do and its making me sick." I spat out.

She flinched at my venomous words. "Alright, then." She said softly. Hinata stalked towards the door and left my room, leaving me all alone.

Not that it mattered. I was used to it by now.

* * *

><p>HINATA POV<p>

When I came to Ino's shack, I was furious at Sasuke. I was partially furious at Ino but I was mainly worried. I was worried for Sakura. Was I the only one who saw the fear in her eyes whenever she talked about her sister? Something must have been going at her village and I didn't want her going to back to whatever it was.

Ino looks at me with a sigh, "You want to yell at me? You of all should now that my allegiance belongs to Sasuke and therefore I follow his command." She took a sip of wine and smiled sadly. "I didn't want to do it." She murmured.

I looked at her with desperation, "How do we know she's not in trouble there?" I shouted out.

She rolled her eyes, "Look, I wanted Sasuke and Sakura to happen but seriously, they're mortals what can they do to her?"

I grabbed her arm impatiently, "I'm not talking about just physical pain! What if she was way happier here then she was ever there!"

Ino's expression faltered but she stopped; "She doesn't remember a thing…" a strange look came over her face.

"I still don't like it." I hissed out stubbornly. "I don't like it all."

Ino put up her hands helplessly, "I don't either. There was nothing I could do but just leave her something, so hopefully, she'll recover from the memory drain."

I froze, "What do you mean? You drained her memories, right?"

Ino smirks at me, "You didn't think I would drain her of all her memories did you?" she replied haughtily.

My eyes widen, "You didn't."

She smiles, "I did. Of course, she can't remember a thing still; however I left a sliver of memory left in her system so that she will have recurring images or visions of certain memories when triggered at the correct moment."

I shake my head, "You can't expect her to remember anything. That was a class A witch spell you performed on her." My voice shook with disbelief, but secretly I wanted it to be true. What if Sakura did regain her memories? Would that coerce Sasuke in to taking her back?

She shrugs nonchalantly, "Who knows? She was able to gain control over water, who knows what she's capable of."

"What if she does recover her memories?" I dared to ask.

Ino grinned wickedly, "You forget my dear Hinata-chan. Unlike shifters, we can travel to the mortal world. And if Sakura somehow magically recovers her memories…we will be there to handle the consequences."

I inhaled sharply at her revelation, "My, god Ino. You are one sly witch."

She winked and took another sip of her wine,

"Please, I already knew that."

* * *

><p>AN: OHEMGEE. 400 REVIEWS? I LOVE YOU GUYS. TO DEATH.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Sick and Tired

Time Skip- 1 month

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><p>SAKURA POV<p>

_I was dreaming of an endless ocean. My bare feet were dragging along in the sand as I approached the waves closer and closer. But just as I was an inch away from the cool water I heard the clang of metal. _

_Confused I pulled my feet up to move towards the water but my feet wouldn't move. I looked down at my feet and saw with horror that they were chained back. _

_Longing welled up and tears started to brim up, "Let me go!" I rasped out. "I-I want to go!"_

_I pulled and pulled at the chains, trying to scrape away at the metal but all that happened was that the metal cut at my hands. Blood started to pour forth from the cuts and started dripping down all over my feet, the chains, the sand, the ocean. _

_Everything was blood red. "Stop it, stop it!" I screamed out. _

"Sakura, Sakura." I was being shaken awake by a pair of hands.

My eyes opened with a start and I saw Kiba staring down at me with concern. "Are you okay? You were tossing and turning in your sleep all last night."

"I was?" I asked blearily. He nodded and I just shrugged. "Yeah, I do that a lot. Usually I have him holding me-"I stopped. What the hell had I just said? It had just spilled out of my mouth; I had no idea what I was talking about. Sudden warmth came over me as I remembered vaguely at the back of my head a comforting touch as I slept somewhere. I shook my head; all these tidbits of memories were having a strange effect on me.

I looked at him hastily, "I mean, I usually have something to hold on to, you know like a stuffed animal." I laughed nervously. "It's a bit embarrassing to have to say that." I fibbed.

He just grinned, "Nah, I think it's cute. Let's go eat breakfast downstairs." He suggested holding out his hand.

I hesitated, "Um, you go ahead without me, I have to freshen up." I tried to smile reassuringly.

Kiba nodded and he headed towards the door, "Don't be too long."

And then he was gone. I let out a huge sigh. Kiba was just about the sweetest thing right now. He had taken me in when I had nowhere to go and I knew how much I owed him. But I knew that he had a slight crush on me. At first I didn't think much of it but I noticed it more and more every day.

I had thought about the idea of being with him but for some reason I couldn't even bear the idea. I couldn't imagine myself with him.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and moved up to tie up my cherry-blossom colored hair. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and made a face. When did I get so tired-looking?

"Well, Sakura. Today's another day." I muttered to myself. I looked at my wrist to see the crescent moon mark that I had discovered the day I had gotten back to my village. I guessed I had gotten it during my memory loss. Whenever I traced the edges of the mark, a sense of peace came over me that was almost impossible to describe.

"What does this mean?" I mused aloud. Every night I would have nightmares and little voices in my head echoing around. Where they just memories or hallucinations? My memories weren't coming back and it frustrated me. It had already been a month and I still had no clue what had happened to me.

I traipsed downstairs to see Kiba's mother cooking a thick soup over the fire. I greeted her with a smile, "It smells delicious!" I commented happily.

She smiled back, "It's no problem sweetie, and well don't you look perfect today!"

I opened my mouth to respond modestly but a sharp pain overcame my mind and squeezed at it with wrenching force. "Ah!" I gasped.

The voice started again and I could hear the voice of a woman, speaking in a gushing tone.

"_You're perfect!"_

"_Very nice hair."_

"_A slim waist."_

_"__Very perfect indeed, my son is so fortunate to have you!"_

And then as quickly as the pain had come it receded. Kiba's mother came forward, "You okay, dear?"

I nodded distractedly, "I'm fine. I really am. I-uh-do you need any help with breakfast?" I suggested.

She gave me a strange look, "I guess you could fetch some water from the well." She replied softly.

I nodded hastily, "I'll go do that!" I burst out of the door, yanking down a pail from the hangers to bring along with me. I needed to get out of that hut and clear my mind. The cool air from outside calmed down the flushed feeling rising within me and I breathed in deeply. Walking slowly towards the well I approached the stone foundation and grasped the edges tightly. My knuckles turned white.

"Calm down, Sakura! You are fine." I hissed through clenched teeth. I filled the pail with water and with annoyance noticed that I had gotten water splashed on the front of my kimono. I slammed the pail down. "Are you serious?" I growled aloud. "Just dry up already!" I hollered at the piece of cloth.

And then in front of my eyes, the large water spot on my chest began to shrink in size and the dark spot was gone. Panic rose in my chest and I raised a shaky hand to touch the spot where the water had permeated through.

It was dry.

Fear overtook me and I fell to the ground, my knees buckled. What was going on with me? The frustration and anger was causing hallucinations, voices within my head and I was so tired of this. _Why couldn't I just remember?_

"Hey, you're the bride of the water god, are you not?" a melodic voice came from above me. I didn't bother looking up, scowling on the inside.

Seriously? It had been a month since I had gotten back and people were still asking me that same question again and again. I straightened up and caught sight of a girl that I had never seen before prior to my memory loss. She looked a bit older than Sayuri, but it was her cold cerulean eyes that chilled me. They made her look older than her actual size, cold hard eyes that pierced through me. The girl wore a tattered black cloth and her long blonde hair hung in a single braid that went down her right shoulder.

"Are you?" she demanded in an authoritative tone.

I stood up trying to hide my temper. "I am." I conceded. "If you want to know anything about the Water God, I'm afraid I can't help you there." I responded briskly. "I have no recollection of my time there."

She plopped down on the bench beside the well, "Gosh that sucks. Don't you remember anything?" she asked urgently. "I mean like, do you ever see images or little voices in your heads?" she giggled as she suggested the idea.

I froze, _how had she known?_ I shrugged her off, "No, not really. I have to get going back now." I moved to pick up the pail of water but she grabbed my wrist. "I'm still talking to you, though!" she smiled cutely though her tone was harsh and sharp.

"Sit down!" she patted the spot next to her and I reluctantly sat. "My name's Ino, I'm 244 years old."

My head throbbed and I let out a little gasp as pain overtook me so hard that I didn't even fully register the outrageous age that she had given me. I grasped the side of my head and squeezed my eyes shut.

Voices echoed around in my head,

"_How old are you_?" it sounded like my voice but it was so distorted that I couldn't be sure.

"_I'm 243 years old, satisfied_?" a woman snapped angrily.

The pain eased suddenly and my vision cleared as the thudding pain stopped. "Ahh…" I breathed out painfully and looked up to see the little girl looking at me with small smirk upon her face.

"It's working." She muttered quietly to herself. "It actually is…"

"What's working?" I queried in my haze of confusion.

Ino looked at me with impassive eyes. "Your memories are returning from your time with the Water God. I just know it." She whispered softly so that only I could hear. "When you remember all of them, just know you have to call my name and I'll be there to assist you." She grasped my hand and squeezed it tight.

"Try to remember it all." She nodded encouragingly.

I yanked my hand back and my mouth fell open, "What are you saying? Who are you? What the hell is your problem?" the questions flew out of my mouth in a flurry. "If you know what happened to me why the hell can't you just tell me!" I insisted in a hoarse whisper.

Her eyes flickered back to meet mine, "Even if I tell you, you can't possibly remember the emotions." She replied crossly. Turning to leave she glanced back one more time, "Remember, you just have to call my name."

The blonde-haired girl walked further away but it suddenly hit me. "Hey!" I called out desperately. She turned, curiously and I ran up to catch up to her.

"Just one question," I panted out, "Do you know what this means?" I lifted up my wrist to show her the crescent mark upon my skin.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of it and she reached up to trace the edge of the mark but she quickly withdrew her fingers as if she had been electrocuted. "Ts! What the hell…" she hissed out. But a smile quickly replaced the grimace. "It just means that the bond has kept strong after all this time." She murmured in amazement.

"What bond?" I almost bellowed out in frustration at her cryptic answer.

She just smiled mysteriously, "That is one question that'll have to be discovered by yourself. Trust me though; it's not a bad thing, far from it, actually. Here," she pulled out something from her kimono and placed it in my hand. I saw that it was a bright hairpin with aqua coloring and shells adorning the surface.

I took the hairpin and placed it into the bun of my hair very gently, I turned back to the girl to thank her but she was gone. I was all alone near the well with only the wind brushing through my hair as a soft comfort of company.

* * *

><p>HINATA POV<p>

"I didn't talk to her for very long." Ino tossed her hair to the side. "Being in that child's form was getting claustrophobic." She shuddered and combed out her long hair with a shell comb. "Plus, I think that if I had spoken to her for a second longer I would've been tempted to spill out her memories.

I nodded in understanding, "I see what you mean. I would've felt the same way, except I would've cracked and told her everything." I laughed quietly.

She snorted, "Yeah, no kidding. I was on the verge of screaming out, 'You're Sasuke's bride! You're in love with him! You're going to have little immortal babies with him!' But- I didn't." she surmised with a regretful look upon her face. "You should have seen this mangy mutt trying to court her, it was disgusting." She wrinkled her nose. "Compared to Sasuke," she sniffed, "He would lose in a heartbeat. I wanted to beat the crap out of that human!" she clenched her fists together and her eyes burned with a raging fire.

I cinched the bridge of my nose with two fingers in exasperation, "Thank god you didn't. That would've scared her away for sure. Did you give her the comb?"

Ino nodded with a satisfied smile upon her face. "Of course I did. It'll strengthen her connection with the supernatural world and speed up her memory recovery process. I feel very diabolic today and that," she eyed me and waggled her eyebrows, "is a sign of accomplishment." She got up and moved towards the door.

"Hey," I frowned. "Where are you going now?"

She rolled her eyes, "Where else? I'm going to talk Sasuke into visiting Sakura in the Mortal World."

Worry instantly filled my mind, "Are you sure that's such a good idea? He's been locked up in his room, he won't eat he won't talk to anybody. Is it such a good idea to goad him on?" I pressed the witch.

Ino raised a hand, "I got this- don't worry about it. All I'm hoping is to plant a seed in his mind. If he encounters Sakura, hopefully that'll trigger all her memories to return. That's all I'm hoping for." She replied with an easy shrug.

I laughed out and she glanced at me, "What's so funny?" she demanded.

I just shrugged, "I've never seen you so passionate about something like this." I smiled, "I like this side of you."

Ino scoffed, "Please, it's my pleasure. If I see Sakura end up with that Kiba character, then I will kill myself." She mimed slitting her throat and stepped out of the door, determined to get Sasuke down to the Mortal World.

* * *

><p>AN: ohemgee! Please review all you lovely readers :)

MUCH LOVE,

Writer4everr


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Apple of My Eye

SAKURA POV

That next week I headed out to do some apple-picking. It was early morning and I was all alone. It felt relaxing and calming to be all alone in the morning fog, I hardly got any quiet around Kiba's house.

Kiba. Ugh. His advances were becoming increasingly frequent and more obvious. I was half contemplating going over to Auntie's house but I didn't want to bother her with one more person. She had already taken in Sayuri and I didn't want to further burden her with one more person to take care of.

My heart grew warm as I thought of Sayuri to know that she was finally safe again. As an older sister that was all I could have wished for.

I reached up for the scarlet red apple that was high up in the emerald leaves but I found with chagrin that my arms only reached three-fourths of the way. "Dammnit." I muttered to myself and reached up for it once more on my toes.

A large hand reached up and plucked the fruit easily out of the branches. My heels set back firmly on the ground and I turned around to face the fruit thief, "Hey!" I demanded. "This is—"The words stuck in my throat as I came face to face with a handsome raven-haired man with amused onyx eyes.

He threw me the bright red apple and I caught it with uncertainty, "Thanks." I replied shortly and looked him over. I was positive he wasn't one of the villagers, I had never seen him before but a twinge of recognition came about me as my eyes met his. "You-you're strange." I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He let out a low chuckle, "Says the girl with bright pink hair." The man retorted back with a teasing smirk. I grabbed my pink strands of hair self-consciously.

"Some people think that pink is a lovely color." I snapped back.

His eyebrow arched upwards, "Like who? Your boyfriend, ?" he questioned in a biting tone that sounded, jealous? But how the hell could that be, I just met this man for god's sake!

I colored at his words, "This is unbelievable." I muttered. "I don't even know who the hell you are and how you know Kiba, who by the way, is not my boyfriend. Who are you?" I demanded.

He extended his hand, "Sasuke."

My blood ran cold as I heard that one word and I broke out in shivers. _Why was this happening again?_ My hand trembled and he noticed this with concern, "Are you okay?" he questioned in an urgent tone.

I nodded hastily, "I-I'm fine. I grasped his hand for support but I felt a burning sensation in my wrist as I grabbed for his hand. I let out a yelp of pain and tumbled downwards into the grass, my body trembling with chills and my hand burning as if on fire.

Sasuke let out a low oath and knelt down to grab my wrist; he applied pressure to the mark where the pain was most excruciating and started murmuring soothingly to me. His voice sounded so comforting to me, and I focused on his voice and tried breathing evenly. The pain was easing now and I could now breathe easily. "I-I'm so sorry." I apologized getting up shakily. "That just happens to me sometimes."

"It does?" his voice sounded strangled.

I nodded quickly, "Anyway, how can I help you? You seem to be lost?" I suggested.

"I do?" his voice sounded amused.

I shrugged, "You look lost, like you're looking for something." I blurted out. His eyes seemed blank and he just wandered around aimlessly as if he was trying to grasp at something but it wouldn't stay in his hands.

My father, before he had become a drunkard often taught me little tricks, riddles and skills. Among one of the skills was body language deduction. A handy skill that had later on come in handy that I had often used with my father to know if he was in a good mood or it would be another day of yelling and punches.

Sasuke nodded, not at all looking surprised at my deduction. "I'm looking for my bride." He replied quietly.

I blushed at his words, "Your bride?" I echoed. The woman who had the privilege of being this man's wife was truly lucky. A feeling of disappointment blossomed in my stomach.

"My bride, I left her thinking she would be better off without me. I've been miserable without her." He explained, sadness creeping into his tone. "I wanted to see if she would want me back."

A lump formed in my throat and I felt tears welling up. I shook my head, why the hell was I acting like this? "S-she must be something special for you to chase her all the way here." I smiled sadly.

"She was unruly." He stated quite bluntly. "She had a lot of flaws. She never knew when to stop talking. She teased me often and never could sit still. I think, because of that, however, I fell in love with her." He murmured softly staring at me intently, almost pleadingly.

I felt the tears running down my cheek and I raised a hand to brush at the tears, not quite believing that I was crying. "I-I'm crying." I uttered in disbelief. "I-I don't know why I'm crying." The tears slipped down harder and harder. A pang went through my heart and it hurt inside me as his words kept repeating over and over in my ears, _"I fell in love with her."_

Sasuke looked at me with utter disbelief, "Are you alright?"

I nodded with tears streaking down my cheeks. I rubbed at the tears angrily. "I-I'm fine." I replied shortly. I sniffled and looked at him, "Look, just talk to your bride, kay? Promise me?" I pleaded. The words coming out of my mouth felt foreign but they were coming out of all my emotions that I didn't even know was pent up inside of me.

He nodded silently gazing at me. "Talk to her." I repeated firmly. "I'm sure your bride will want to see you." I gave him a teary smile. Sasuke was speechless but he found his voice.

"How do you know this?" his voice crackled with emotion.

I turned away from him and began to walk away and glanced back at him. I needed to get away from him. He was bringing up all these emotions that I was thinking was better kept inside of me. I was becoming an emotional wreck in front of some stranger.

The strangest feeling was that I wanted to be this man's bride. I wanted to just go away with this man who came out of nowhere and just walk away from this life where I couldn't remember a thing. I wanted to start fresh instead of trying to rebuild everything.

"I'm sure your bride misses you, if I was your bride, I would miss you too." I murmured before walking away with that scarlet apple.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV<p>

I stood there for a while, left alone in the apple tree orchard.

Sakura Haruno.

What the hell had that girl done to me to make me so _addicted?_

I wanted her back. I was sure of that now. Coming here had definitely been a bad idea. I finally moved and headed towards the hills to clear my mind. Maybe I would take Shikamaru's advice and do some cloud-gazing to clear my mind.

I glanced up the hill and blinked twice, _it couldn't be…_I let out a growl as my dread was confirmed. A blonde-haired lady was standing up the hill with her blue eyes staring me down. I stalked up the hill and came up behind her.

"You followed me." I stated unequivocally, annoyance tinged my tone.

Ino's laugh was a soft chime in the wind, "So, how did it go?" she asked with genuine interest, her tone tinged with a hint of playfulness. "I surmise it went well based on your goofy expression. I'm guessing my talk to you actually helped. I knew I could get you to visit." She declared triumphantly.

I rolled my eyes and shifted my expression to a glare, "We just talked." I answered evenly. My stomach lurched, her voice was still ringing in my ears, I had missed her so much-and yet it had been so unreal, like a dream. She was still the stubborn girl that I had known, yet she had no recollection of me. It hurt every time she looked at me with a blank expression. My teeth clenched down together and I tried to wipe the memory away from my mind.

I felt Ino's fingers brush against mine and she squeezed my hand, "It's okay." She whispered softly. "I told you that it's a reversible process." She reminded me desperately.

My heart went cold, "I-I want her to remember, is that selfish?" My jaw clenched, "I want her back, is that selfish of me?"

She shook her head, "Wanting to be with the one you love isn't selfish, Sasuke." Ino stressed impatiently.

"The shifters." I reminded her flatly.

She scoffed, "Do you honestly think those are any match for us? We were put off guard, so what? We'll be prepared; besides, I doubt that they were going to attack after we kicked their asses." She pulled me so that I was facing her, "Tell me honestly," she demanded, "Did you send he back because she was in danger or because you were scared that you were actually falling in love with her?"

The question hung in the air and I let out a sharp exhale. This witch, she could read me so easily. "It was a mix of both." I admitted uneasily. "You know me, I actually—"

"—you actually fell in love with her and you chickened out and used the stupid shifters as an excuse." Ino finished impatiently. She snatched her fingers away from my hold and hit my chest lightly, "You are stupid, you know that?" she glared at me.

I recoiled at her accusation, "You know that's not entirely true." I disagreed. "I kept in mind that she was a mortal, meaning she can die." I repeated for the umpteenth time, did nobody else realize how fragile a mortal's life was? "Those shifters were threatening her." I added in rebuttal.

Ino rolled her eyes, "You know how we can change all this? Change her." She hissed out. "Just give her the damn misery flower."

"You know the chances." I retorted back. "I'd rather have her alive without her memory then risk poisoning her."

Ino let out an exasperated, bitter laugh, "God, Sasuke! It's like you don't want to be with her or something! You just keep coming up with excuses and it's tiring me out!" she snapped. "You can't get what you want without any risks. Why don't you give her back her memories and then ask her? Instead of drugging her up in the middle of the night and sending her away! I'd bet Sakura would want some input in her own damn life!"

Her barrage of angry words sent me reeling and I turned away, "I don't know." I walked away but she grabbed my arm.

"Sasuke, you're like my older brother. You helped me out all my life and I'm just trying to repay the favor." Her tone softened. "You helped me out with Shikamaru, so why can't you help yourself instead of always running to people's aid?"

A lump formed in my throat and took her cold hands in my own hands, "I do want her back." I admitted. Her eyes lit up but I put a hand up, "We'll talk in the morning." I stated firmly.

She smiled brightly, "That's fine with me. We will talk." She promised and I nodded faintly.

A light laugh emitted from my throat as a humorous thought came to mind. If we did restore Sakura's memories there was something I was dreading. Miss Sakura Haruno would be pissed like no other.

After all, _hell hath no fury like a pink-haired woman who had been drugged and sapped of her memories._

* * *

><p>AN: This is a super short chappie I know please forgive me! But I wanted to update SOMETHING before I go on a brief hiatus. This will not be months long, trust me but I will not be able to update until sometime after December 17th ish so please don't hate me for that long wait!

I won't be long, it'll be over before you know it!

P.S. Ino's talk with Sasuke will be part of the next chapter in flashback format so if you wanted to see that scene don't worry it will be included!

MUCH LOVE,

Writer4everr


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Spying Adventures of a Witch

FLASHBACK-

"_Sakura is being courted." Ino's voice informed me in a clipped tone. _

_I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head at her weak attempt to get me emotionally riled up. It did bother me but the attempt was so obvious that I knew better than to respond angrily. I turned around to face her and saw that she had a small smirk on her face. "So?" I shrugged. The words rang out hollow and empty._

_She stood up straight and laughed aloud, "You're not curious?" she tilted her head to the side, "Well let me take the opportunity to educate you, let me warn you I'm not exactly pleased at what I saw down there so if I start ranting—"_

_I cut in sharply, "You visited the human world? Why would you do that?" I demanded angrily, my blood boiling. What if she had been recognized or put in danger because of her reckless visit?_

_Ino rolled her eyes, "Please don't bring out Spoilsport Sasuke, I hate that side of you." She whined. "I wanted to go down there for you. I'm helping you by updating you on what's going on with Sakura!"_

_I sighed in exasperation, "I told you to leave this whole thing along. The bond is severed between us." I swore angrily but Ino seemed unfazed by my use of crude language. _

"_That's quite impossible." She replied with a grin, "Bonds can never be severed. Anyways, there's this boy named Kiba." I grew irritated at the name, "He's got this sick puppy crush on Sakura." A scowl crossed her face and I was pretty sure my face held a similar expression._

"_Kiba?" I repeated with a small growl. I tried to shake the thought away of Sakura marrying another man._

_She nodded and crossed her arms, "She's unhappy there, Sasuke. Her parents, did you know that they abused her?" _

_My blood ran cold and I turned to face Ino directly, "No," my voice cracked out in a whisper. "She wanted to go back home, I was certain that she missed her parents, I-"_

"_Nobody knew." Ino reassured me. "But, when I was down there I did some investigating. Apparently her father and mother got money if they agreed to give up Sakura to you. They were in poverty and apparently they took out their anger on their daughters."_

_Disgust and anger welled up within me, "They hit her?" I spat out. "They struck her? Is she still with her parents?" I demanded._

_Ino shook her head, "No, her dad left town and her mother is wasting away, Mikoto told me her time is coming. But she's just so confused by herself. She gets flashbacks but she's so terrified of them, she doesn't know what they mean. She needs to see you again!" she pleaded._

_I got up shaking with agitation, "See her?" my voice was strained. "The implications—"_

"—_Sasuke, she' needs somebody to comfort her. The only one who can do that now is you. The bond between you two still retains its powers. I tried to examine the markings but it burned me, you know what that means…"_

_I nodded, realization coming to me, the bond was trying to protect itself from Ino's witch powers. It perceived Ino's powers as a threat and it was trying to defend itself. The bond was still strong between us. I still had a chance…_

_She grabbed me urgently, "So? Will you go see her?"_

_I hesitated and straightened up, "Maybe." I replied shortly and left the room without glancing back at her. _

_Ino let out a irritated huff and called after me, "Don't try to act all dark and mysterious! I know that you'll go see her!" she shrilled out._

_I merely smirked, perhaps she was right._

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV<p>

I trudged slowly through the dry, crackling leaves and mused quietly to myself. The man, Sasuke, he kept coming to my mind and it irritated the hell out of me. I didn't get it, I swear I had never seen him before yet he seemed so familiar. The whole thing was so cliché yet it felt so real to me. "Seriously" I growled aloud, "Get the hell out of my mind."

"You talk to yourself?" a light laugh emitted from the once silent air. I whipped around to face the person that I had just been thinking about. I reddened as I came face to face with the good-looking man. He wore a silver kimono and had the same smirk upon his face.

"Geez, you need to stop popping out of nowhere!" I hissed. It had been nearly 2 weeks since I had first seen him. I hadn't seen him in between and I was starting to wonder where he stayed at.

"Aw, you're jumpy." He teased. "Here." He threw something at me and I caught it with a little bit of fumble. I looked at what was in my hand and I saw a jade hair piece. I picked it up cautiously and let out an exhilarated breath of air,

"What's this?" I gazed at it with childlike wonder and looked back up at him with confusion.

"Just a little something to brighten up your dull appearance." He smirked at me and my heart gave a little thud but annoyance overrode my stupid crush.

"Dull?" I echoed with a glare, I tossed the hairpin back at his chest and stomped away.

He caught my arm, "H-Hey! You know I didn't mean that! I was kidding, Sakura." He took my hand and placed the hairpin back into my palm. "I'm sorry." He offered genuinely.

I took the hairpiece and let out a petulant sigh, "I suppose I'll have to forgive you, sir." I replied dramatically and smiled while placing the hairpin in my pink tresses. "Aside from the rude comment, thank you." I nodded in gratuity. "But-what's with the sudden present, my birthday's not until another few months." I grinned.

He just shrugged, "Just something I thought would like good on you. Plus, you were a bit sad the last time we saw each other, I thought I'd give you something to cheer you up." He wouldn't meet my eyes and I with surprise that his cheeks reddened.

"Thanks." I whispered. "Really, thanks." I smiled happily.

Sasuke cleared his throat gruffly, "It's nothing."

I took his hands and squeezed it warmly, "I really appreciate it. I feel a lot better, this week has been pretty crappy, but, you managed to make my day." I grinned.

"Sakura?" a shocked voice came from behind me and with dread I instantly recognized the voice. "Is that you Sakura?"

I dropped Sasuke's hands and whirled around. "Kiba? What are you doing here?" My voice shook as I caught sight of Kiba's face that showed a mixture of annoyance and irritation.

Kiba hesitated as he replied, "I-I was just walking around, who's he?" bitterness was embedded in his tone and I groaned inwardly, really?

"I'm Sasuke, her friend." Sasuke interrupted in a smooth tone. "Who are you? She never really mentions other people so I'm not really familiar with you." He smirked and I glared at him for stringing Kiba along and taunting him.

"Kiba cleared his throat, "I-uh-I'm Kiba. Sakura lives with me." He bit out in a smug tone. I cringed and turned back to Sasuke who had a dark look on his face now.

A little snarl ripped out of his throat and my eyes widened in surprise at Sasuke's over protectiveness. "I-uh-look, I'll see you later Sasuke." I added hastily trying to calm him down and avoid a confrontation.

Kiba smiled toothily, "That's right, we have to be heading back now." He moved forward to grab my arm but I moved back hesitantly.

"Just a second, Kiba." I muttered. "I'll see you soon?" I asked turning back to Sasuke with desperation creeping into my tone.

Sasuke's expression eased and he smiled, "Yeah, of course."

Relief flowed through me and I nodded moving away now back to Kiba, "Alright, I'll see you later." Kiba made a small face but I ignored him and just starting walking back to the village. Kiba attempted to catch up to me but I just kept trudging forward.

"Hey, hey! Who was that?" he demanded.

"Like he said, he's my friend. His name is Sasuke." I answered flatly and tried to shrug him off.

"How do you know him?" he grabbed me by the shoulder to whirl him around. "Answer me!"

"Why does it matter?" I hissed out. "Am I supposed to bring my friends to you for a background check? I don't have to get your freaking approval!" I growled out with my jaw clenched tight.

He was speechless and I just rolled my eyes, "Are we done here?" I hissed. "Good, 'cause I am. I'll see you later." I muttered out angrily and strolled away.

Anger burst up into little flames within me but I glanced back once. Not to glance at Kiba but Sasuke's faint figure in the distance.

I shook my head and laughed at myself, _How the hell was it possible to feel so strongly about one person after meeting them for only two times?_ The thought struck me and I just laughed it off once more, and a question popped up in my mind.

_Sasuke, did I know you in another life?_

* * *

><p>HINATA POV<p>

Ino snorted with laughter as she finished watching Kiba and Sasuke have at each other. She let out another gleeful snort and watched the drama unfold in front of her.

We were sitting in her rundown shack where Ino had summoned a portal so that we could see what was going on between Sasuke and Sakura. "Don't you feel just the tad bit guilty?" I asked apprehensively.

Ino turned back to me with an are-you-serious look, "Uh, NO." she blurted out bluntly. "This is pure gold? Who cares about dramatic plays? Just watch this and you'll be set for life? This is real drama!" she waved a hand at the portal with a flourish.

Ino got up and picked up a bottle of alcohol and drank from it heartily, I rolled my eyes and gave a flick of my fingers, "Bin no Kuru!" I called out. The bottle flew from her fingers and landed in my outstretched fingertips.

Her eyes widened and she gave me the most pathetic look ever, "Hey!" she wailed out. "I need that!"

I frowned, "I beg to differ, and you do not need more liquor. It's vulgar to drink and make fun of one's life."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, Hinata, stop ruining my fun!" she complained and got up, "I'm just drinking to pass the time. I'm waiting for Sasuke to finally give me the go-ahead."

"The go-ahead?" I repeated quizzically.

Ino nodded and tucked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear, "Yup, I'm waiting him for me to tell me when to make the potion." She replied in a clipped voice.

My eyebrow rose, "He's agreed to change her?"

Ino scoffed, "Well not entirely yet. He said he would 'think' about it and give him some time." She made a face as she imitated his voice.

"Ah, I see." I put the alcohol bottle on the table and sighed rolling my shoulders tiredly.

Ino looked at me with concern, "If you're tired just drink!" she crowed out in a happy tone. I sighed, yup, she had had way too much to drink tonight.

I glared at her, "Really?" I pointed at my stomach and the growing bulge.

The blonde-haired witch's lips formed an O, "Oh yeah, so what were you planning to name that baby?"

I just shrugged, "I really don't know yet, we're still on edge about the whole 'bonding' issue thing. We haven't really decided on a name yet." I replied shortly.

Ino's eyes lit up a she heard Hinata's admission. "You could name it after me, I mean sure the idea of naming your kid 'pig' might not sound like the most ideal thing but trust me, you'll like the sound of that beautiful name." she laughed to herself.

"Ino? I don't know-"The door slammed open both of us turned around to face Sasuke. He looked out of breath and his face was flushed, panting heavily.

"Sasuke?" I moved forward with concern. "Are you alright?"

He nodded hastily, "I-I'm fine. I-Ino…"

Ino's head instantly shot up to hear what her friend had to say, "What is it?" she demanded.

He gripped her arm, "I-I've made my choice." He paused and drew in a deep breath.

"I know if I want to change Sakura or not."

* * *

><p>AN: December 17th, 2011, new chapter as promised. Although it's a tad bit short I hope you enjoyed it! LOVE ALL OF YOU SO DAMN MUCH. Over 500 reviews? Wow, tears streaming down my fat cheeks (not butt cheeks, the ones on my face) Anyways, I'm so grateful and i hope you guys continue to support me, yeah? :)

One of my readers, In the Business of Misery made a story based off this concept except in the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I recommend that you check it out!

Again, thank you all for your support, and if I don't update before Christmas, I wish you guys a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever!

LOVE ALL OF YOU,

Writer4everr!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Before the Storm

SAKURA POV

"_You know, I think there's a psychological reason behind your incessant rolling around at night." He mused in a low tone._

_I laughed lightly, "And pray tell, what is that reason Doctor?"_

_He rolled his eyes and I propped myself on my elbows giving him my attention. "I think you're hurt by something in your past." He declared with a whisper._

_I froze, how had he known? Had he really deciphered that just from my bad sleeping habits? I laughed nervously, "Oh come on, I roll around, so what? It doesn't mean anything!" I just shrugged and rolled over on the bed._

_His eyebrow rose, "You're getting defensive…"_

_I scoffed, "Because you're suggesting something absurd." I retorted back._

"_Am I?" he laughed in amusement._

"_Yes, you are." I poked him with an air of stubbornness._

"_You're sure that there's no truth to my deduction? I was so sure I had you figured out." He complained and pinched the bridge of my nose teasingly._

"_Ow!" I wrinkled my nose and swatted his hand away. But then I sobered up, "Perhaps, there is some truth to it." I mused aloud._

_He stopped and I drew in a deep breath, "Sometimes I get really vivid nightmares." I confessed. "Before I go to sleep, I'm afraid I'll see those ghastly images in my mind and I'll start to shift around a lot." I wasn't about to go in more depth. I would just keep it like that._

_His expression softened and he drew me in close, "Do you still get them?" he asked softly._

_I shook my head, "Not that much anymore, I think you help the nightmares go away." I laughed shakily. "Perhaps they're afraid of you." I teased._

_He recognized my attempt to lighten up the atmosphere and just gave me a crooked smile, "Sleep, Sakura." He ordered gently._

_I obliged him and closed my eyes, drifting off into a warm sleep where no nightmare would touch me-_

My eyes flashed open; I sat up breathing heavily, my dream still vivid in my mind. The warmth from my dream had disappeared and I drew the blanket closer as I started shivering. I kept having dreams of a mysterious person comforting me and it made me wonder if that had been just a hallucination of my mind or a lost memory…

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

A loud pounding at the door broke me out of my thoughts and I got up groggily.

I heard Kiba's voice come from outside the door, "Don't worry about it Sakura, just some village men coming by, I'll see what's wrong."

The pounding continued and a sense of dread formed in my stomach. I ignored Kiba and got out of bed and slipped out of the room. I followed him downstairs and heard the shouting of men.

"Bring Miss Sakura Haruno out here!"

"Bring her out here!"

"The Shaman has ordered her execution!" the shouted out with snarls and growls.

Chills traveled down my spine as I heard their spiteful words. I was wanted dead? I hadn't done anything, the rain still fell, why would they want me? Panic overtook me and Kiba threw me a frantic look.

"Hide in the back!" he hissed out in an order.

I shook my head slowly, "They want me." I repeated in a slow, dream-like state. It slowly came to me that it was useless to fight against them. The first time I had tried to fight and it hadn't done anything had it? I had still been sacrificed.

"BRING HER OUT HERE!" they shouted in unison.

"K-Kiba, let them in." I nodded towards the door.

Kiba looked at me in horror, "What the hell are you doing? They'll kill you!" he growled out. He looked scared and I didn't blame him. I closed my eyes and let out a little sigh.

I ignored his warning and moved for the door myself and opened the door to brace myself for the dozens of men gathered outside carrying torches.

"I'm here." I declared in a firm state. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins, and I knew what they wanted from me. They wanted my life. I had gone through this before. I was prepared. I didn't know what they wanted from me but I knew how this would turn out. I would die for the others who wanted to live.

* * *

><p>They had knocked me out with chemicals and when I had awaked, shivering and cold I knew that the adrenaline in my system had worn off. The feeling of nonchalance was gone and the fear and panic was setting in once more.<p>

I observed my surroundings and saw there were two men. One was more muscular than the other and wore a more vicious expression like a guard dog. I inhaled sharply and moved slightly, catching their attention.

"Oh, the little girl is awake." The smaller of the men sneered. "Time to play!" he declared gleefully.

The sobs escaped from my throat in broken sounds, "I-I haven't done anything wrong." I pleaded. "Just send me back, please!"

One of the villagers approached menacingly with his fist swinging and connected his hand with my cheek. I recoiled back with my cheek stinging red. The sound of pain was stuck in my throat and he just laughed at my pain, "The shaman has ordered for your execution. The gods have ordained that you die in order for the rain to keep falling. The Water God demands that you die." He sneered.

Dread and fear coiled in my stomach and I started screaming hysterically, "You're lying! I've done everything the Shaman asked me! I already got sacrificed once and I'm not going back!" The tears dropped down faster intermingling with my blood.

One of the other men's expression softened and I could see guilt in his eyes, "H-Hey, man, let's just settle down. She's already going to die, let's just leave her alone until the Shaman comes." He suggested nervously.

The more aggressive man's lip curled, "What the hell are you scared about? She's just a little girl, man up!" he growled angrily.

Fury erupted within me, "There's nothing honorable about hitting a defenseless girl." I retorted back and instantly, I regretted it as his expression darkened. He approached once more with his fist and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain.

"STOP IT! Let me see my daughter!" an angry shriek came. My eyes flew open as I recognized my mother's voice.

"Mother?" I croaked out in a hoarse whisper not quite believing my ears. She wouldn't be here, why would she be here? Did she really care? I stumbled, trying to get up, "Mother?" I asked again, my voice gaining strength.

The man let out an angry oath, "Aw, great. Now the mother is here. Let her in, we might as well let her see her daughter in her final moments." He sneered at me and I just stared back defiantly.

The quieter man nodded and he opened the door. My mother rushed in like a banshee and her hand flew to her mouth as she saw me on the floor dirtied and bruised. It was like the first time she saw me in this kind of state even though she had often seen me bruised, courtesy of my father. "S-Sakura…" she stood there frozen in her spot, horror seizing her.

"Look lady, the Shaman will take care of her. The gods want her dead and we'll gladly oblige them to avoid another drought." He lazily explained. "Do you want some kind of recompensation for her life?" he demanded.

My mother trembled and she lifted her frail fingertips, "You scum." She hissed through her teeth. "Just like my husband who thought money could make everything better." She spat out angrily. "You can't just take her like this, whether or not the gods say so or not. I'm beginning to think your shaman is a fake!" she declared haughtily. Warmth flowed through me as I heard her defend me. It had been so long since I had dreamed of her coming to my defense and saving me from the villains. And now, here she was in her old age raging around at burly young men.

"Mother, stop." I insisted hastily. She would only incite their anger and I knew how bad that would turn out for her if she pointed fingers at the influential figurehead of our community.

She glared at the men, "No I will not stop. I've been a terrible mother for all these years and I'm bent on making up for all that time. Let my daughter go!" she shrieked and she jumped on the weaker of the men clawing at his face.

I could only stare and watch with my mouth agape. The stronger man let out another oath and yanked my mother from her hold and he hit the man, "What the hell is wrong with you? Letting this hag get the best of you!" he snarled and grabbed my mother, "Get out of here before we have to kill you too!"

Fear overtook me and I pleaded, "Mother, just go! I'll be fine!" I insisted with a hesitant nod of my head. "I'll be fine." I repeated softly like a mantra in order to comfort my mother and myself.

She whimpered as the man's hold on her arm tightened, the tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes, "I-I'm sorry Sakura, I-I'm so sorry." She broke down, tears spilling down her cheeks mirroring my image.

The man shouted angrily at her and pushed her out of the room and faced me once more with malice in his eyes.

I just stared at him, feeling empty. If I were to die now, it wouldn't matter. My mother really did love me. Sayuri would be safe. My father had paid for all the harm he had caused to our family. Everything was okay logically but a hole still remained in my chest that ached with a longing for something that I couldn't decipher. What was it that still held me back from going with a content heart? Was it that injustice in my execution? Was that why I felt so empty inside?

My self-examination was interrupted as the door swung open again and this time I was surprised to see the Shaman himself stepping through the door with an air of confidence and paint markings on his face, signifying he was minutes away from sacrificing me.

He had been the last face I had seen before I was sacrificed. I sure as hell never wanted to see it again.

"Leave us." He ordered the two other men. My lip curled as I watched the two men obliging this old man's orders. Finally we were alone. The room was silent with only the sounds of a soft dropping of water.

_Plip. Plop. Plip. Plop._

"What. Do. You. Want." I hissed out. "Was sacrificing me once not enough for you?" I snarled.

I fought back the tears that were threatening to fall, "I just wanted it all go back to normal." I whispered out pathetically. "I just want to leave this goddamn village."

He knelt down to my level and leaned closer so that our faces were inches apart, "Sakura, the villagers are losing faith in me, they've noticed that the rain has been faltering, losing its abundance." He started out.

I trembled in fury, "I did everything all of you asked of me! I sacrificed myself! I did as you said! Stop bringing me into the affairs of the gods and goddesses!"

He shook his head, "I am truly sorry. But some of the villagers have suggested sacrificing you once more. They think that you have escaped from the Water God and he is angry with us for sheltering you. So, in order to appease their minds I must give up your life." He replied softly.

"Y-You, you sham!" I spat out. "You just cater to their selfish desires. You weren't blessed by the gods with divination powers, you just seek power!" I sputtered out. How could this man do this to me? How could he just listen to those villagers and do away with me?

He sighed once more in exasperation. "Stop blaming me." He ordered gently. "Please just accept this fate. I promise that we'll take care of your sister and mother, eh?" he suggested in order to appease me. But I was far from appeased I was so angry that I was literally seeing red, my chest ached painfully and it was getting hard to breathe.

I tried to take deep breaths but it was like all the air was getting vacuumed out of me, "I-I don't believe this…" I started crying, I couldn't stop myself from showing my weakness but I was so tired of being used and manipulated.

I felt hands grab me by the shoulders and being dragged out of the hut and carried for some distance. I wasn't paying attention to anything. Everything was black around me, the night cast a veil around me and all I could hear were my own sobs in the quiet.

Then the bodies that were carrying me stopped abruptly and I felt myself being thrown to the ground. I opened my eyes for the first time and saw that I was on the banks of our village's river. The sight of the flowing water seemed to calm me down and I urged myself to calm down and quiet my cries and hiccupping.

The shaman appeared from the mass of bulky men and he came forth with a knife in one hand. The calming effect was instantly gone as I saw how the metal glinted in the moonlight.

He took another step and a scream erupted from my throat. "P-Please, don't do this, I-I can't die l-like this!" I whimpered with desperation coating my words.

Ignoring my words, the shaman approached closer and closer and I slipped back further and further and until I was on the edge of the water, my hands in the cool water covered with mud and blood. "I'm sorry." He whispered quietly and the knife began to plunge downwards.

"SASUKE!" The cry of help came from me but I had no clue why I had called his name. It just felt right as I saw the metal about to plunge deep into my bosom. I felt as if he was the only one who could help me right now. All the others were gone.

And by some miracle I saw the knife slip from the Shaman's grip as it fell onto the ground by my side. He let out a gurgle of incoherent words and he fell to the ground with a slump of his unconscious body.

I stood up in a flash and the other villagers' mouths opened in horror at the sight. An eerie quiet went throughout the air and then came a horrified cry from one of the men. He pointed upwards towards the river and we all turned to gaze at what was he was pointing towards.

My blood froze as I caught sight of a man with flashing silver eyes and angry black markings across his pale skin. The man stood in the river, knee deep in river but it hardly seemed to affect his menacing aura. He opened his mouth to release a snarl and I saw fangs protruding from his mouth. It took me a while to recognize him as Sasuke, but a demonic version, a shell of the kind man I had been talking to prior nights before.

"S-Sasuke?" my voice was hoarse. An image flashed through my head and I saw Sasuke and me lying on the outskirts of some palace. The Sasuke in my mind was bruised and bloody and I was laughing in relief as I spoke with him.

"_You're really alright?"_ My own voice rang out within my mind and I trembled as I realized that what I had just experienced was a memory. And all those other images and headaches had been memories. Those were what I had been looking for all along.

I knew Sasuke, somehow, somewhere but my psyche wasn't letting me remember how. I raised my voice to him across the waters, "Sasuke! I remember something!" I yelled out desperately. "Please, just help me remember!" I was pleading now, I wanted answers.

He looked taken aback and his silver eyes cooled back to the onyx that I knew. He fled out of the water at an almost inhumane speed and came to my side. "What do you remember?" he questioned urgently.

My eyes flickered to his, "I-I-"

"-don't just stand there men! Kill him, he's injured our Shaman!" one of the village leaders roared with fury and they all approached menacingly with their fists at the ready.

Sasuke let out an impatient growl and flicked his fingers at the men. The river waters moved upwards to take the form a tsunami wave hovering dangerously over the village men. I was left speechless at the sight. H-how had he just, did he just move those waters?

"If you don't want your village drowned," he snarled, "You best stay away!" Sasuke's proclamations seemed to echo throughout the air reaching everybody's ears.

I slumped down on the ground, my body shaking. They had just attempted to kill me. I had just been saved by Sasuke, who had some supernatural power that allowed him to control the waters and now I-I just couldn't take it all in.

"Sakura, are you alright!" he shook me gently by the shoulders. My vision was still blurry and I struggle to focus,

"Sasuke?" I croaked out. "What happened? I saw that you, you manipulated the water. H-How did you do that?" My voice shook with confusion.

He let out a laugh filled with relief, "I'll explain everything later, are you fine?" he repeated impatiently. I nodded hastily and attempted to get up without his support.

I swayed unsteadily on my feet as my gaze met Sasuke's. My vision sharpened and it was like the first time I had ever seen Sasuke. Recognition flared within me and I let out a little gasp of surprise as the memories came flooding within me, I saw a crescent moon mark, a blonde witch, a blue haired maiden, a boisterous blonde-haired man and then I saw multiple images of Sasuke and I. It was all coming back.

I remembered these things. I had finally found the answers to what I had been searching for. I had found Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke," I felt myself began to fall down, fatigue taking over my body; I saw his eyes widen and he moved forward to catch me.

"You idiot, you came back." I murmured with a small little smile, before it all went black.

A/N: hi guyths! I missed you! Enjoy this update and I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas :) MUCH LOVE!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Here comes the Storm!

SASUKE POV

_Ino rushed forward and saw Sakura laying in my arms, "My god! You actually brought her back!" she squealed with glee._

_I laid her down on the bed, "She remembered me and then she fainted." I breathed out in exhilaration. "She remembered me."_

_Ino's expression grew confused, "She did? I hadn't expected her to recover so quickly…" she mused. _

"_It doesn't matter." I replied hastily, "Get the required items to reverse the spell." I ordered quickly._

_Ino nodded, "Got it. I'll get everybody too." She headed out of the room and I was left alone with Sakura's unconscious figure. She was finally back._

"So, we were good friends?" Sakura asked curiously. Her bright green eyes were wide with interest.

I let out a small sigh and put on a tired smile, "Yeah, good friends." I replied. I had been trying to jog her memory for the past half hour but it had seemed that she still had not recovered her memory even though I could have sworn back there; her eyes had recognized me and known who I really was.

Sakura scratched the side of her head, sheepishly, "I'm really sorry. You know, I did recognize you for a second, but it's strange, it's all gone now." She stated mournfully.

I smiled, tight-lipped, trying to hide my exasperation. "That's all fine." I lied. "We'll get Ino in here, she'll help you remember." I got up to leave but she clutched my arm.

"You'll be back, right?" she asked anxiously. "You won't leave me, I have the strangest feeling that you'll leave me…" she whispered softly.

My heart thudded fast and I smiled warmly at her innocent demeanor, "Of course, I will. Don't worry, you'll be safe here." I promised and squeezed her hand.

She nodded slowly, letting go of my arm with reluctance and I got up quietly to leave her in our room. I opened the door to see practically everybody there with their ears squished upon the door. There was Ino, Tenten, Naruto, Hinata, my mother, Shikamaru, and Itachi stood by the back with an air of nonchalance. "You know, you don't have to eavesdrop." I growled out, irritated.

My mother smiled brightly, "Sasuke, my dear, we didn't mean to intrude, we're just so anxious." She stressed with worry. "How is she?"

I ran a hand through my hair, tiredly, "She doesn't seem to remember much anymore." I reported with frustration. "She was responding back to me before we came here, but ever since, she's gone back to being confused and clueless."

Shikamaru sighed lazily, "Well considering the strength of Ino's spell, it's a miracle that she remembered anything before having the spell reversed."

Tenten and Hinata murmured in agreement at Shikamaru's words.

Ino came forward with her sealed container of Sakura's memories and a file of paintings in one hand. "Shall I try my magic?" she suggested.

Mikoto nodded eagerly, "Of course! There's no time to waste!" she urged Ino into the room and I turned around to head back into the room but Itachi stopped me.

"Sasuke, can I talk to you?"

I nodded in reluctance and he pulled me over, "You brought her back. Are you willing to change her now?" he questioned in a flat tone.

I crossed my arms defensively, "I am willing to if she agrees to. If she wishes to remain a mortal then I'll honor that. If she wishes to change, then I'll give her the Misery Flower." I declared.

Itachi's lips quirked upwards, "I see. Well then I wish you both luck." He had a humorous glint in his eyes, "She won't be happy when she awakens."

I sighed, "Yeah, I know. But-"

"-But you'd do anything for that mortal girl, wouldn't you?" he finishes with a wry smile. "Strange what love can do." He mused and walked away. My eyebrow arched in confusion. W

I was so not used to the Confucius version of Itachi. It was disturbing, to say the least. I let out a sigh and went back into the room where Ino still stood at the entrance conversing quietly with Sakura whose eyes were bright and alert waiting for something to happen. I closed the door behind me and waited for Ino to make her move.

Ino approached Sakura carefully with the file of paintings and sat on the bed next to her. "Sakura, do you remember me?" she asked quietly with earnest blue eyes.

Sakura's eyes went blank again devoid of the bright vivaciousness that had been there earlier. "I-I can't quite remember. I know that I remembered something earlier, but it's gone now." She admitted abashedly.

Ino nodded patiently and she took on a maternal tone, "It's fine, just close your eyes. Do you see anything?"

Sakura obliged her instructions and she concentrated hard, closing her eyes. "I do see something." She started hesitantly. Ino nodded, encouraging her on. "I see daggers, arranged in a flower pattern." She opened her eyes and looked downwards, "I'm sorry, that's all I can see."

The blonde-haired witch patted her shoulder encouragingly, "That's actually very important." She had a small smile upon her face and she shot me a knowing look. Sakura was remembering Ino's mark on her chest, the mark of the white witch.

"I don't understand." I intoned in frustration. "She remembered me. The look in her eyes, she knew me. Why is she blanking out now?"

A frightened look came over Sakura's face, "I'm sorry." She repeated miserably. "I'm trying to, it's there in my mind I just can't—"she trailed off, helplessly.

Ino shushed her, "It's fine, something probably triggered the release of your memories, perhaps seeing Sasuke in transformation but now the curse is fighting back and sealing it all up." She mused aloud. "Shall we proceed?" she asked me.

"Of course." I replied hastily.

"Alrighty, now, Sakura, this is just to ease the rush of memories so it's not that shocking." She opened the file of paintings, painted in likeness of all the people she had met here. "Just tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you see these pictures, kay?" she held a picture of Hinata.

She glanced at it hard for a second, "Shy." she blurted out and I gave a start. She did remember this! Sakura glanced at me cautiously, "Did I say something wrong?"

Ino shook her hard happily, "Not at all. Just say whatever comes to mind. Next," she held up a painting of Tenten.

A flicker of recognition passed through her eyes, "K-Kuma." She whispered out. Ino's eyes widened with surprise and then she promptly fell on the bed with laughter in a loud guffaw.

Annoyance permeated my tone, "Ino, shut up." I hissed. But I did let out a little laugh, out of all the things Sakura would remember; she would remember that humiliating thing. I approached Sakura hesitantly as she stared at Ino's laughing form in utter confusion.

Sakura's brow furrowed, "You see? I can remember certain things but I can't for the life of me remember the emotions accompanied with it. It's just like looking through a dictionary. You'll see the words but you don't remember the definitions."

I let out a low chuckle, "It's fine, really, in a matter of minutes it'll all be clear. Ino recovered from her fit of giggles and she held up the next picture of Shikamaru.

Sakura had to look at it longer and then she looked at Ino, "Um, I don't know, I just see a crescent moon. You know, similar to the one on my wrist." She explained.

Ino nodded and turned to me, "That's good. She remembers Shikamaru's bond. That happened when they first met. Next, you're doing great Sakura-chan."

I interrupted her, "She remembers a lot already. Just feed her the memories." I urged on impatiently.

Ino shot me a scathing look but turned back to Sakura, "Fine. What do you say, Sakura? Are you ready for this?" she asked with concern.

She nodded in earnest, "I'm ready." She replied honestly.

Ino let out a huge exhale and reached for the glass of silvery liquid. "Alright, now if you suffer from post traumatic stress disorder don't blame me when you get your memories back." She grumbled.

Sakura laughed and reached eagerly for the cup but I intercepted her reach. "Hold up, just when you recover your memories, promise me, something."

Her eyes widened, "Um, yeah, sure, what is it?"

I smirked, "Just don't hit me. No slaps, no punches, you will be mad but restrain yourself." I replied with a teasing grin.

She looked confused but she smiled charmingly, "I'll try my best not to." She promised.

'Good luck with that." Ino muttered and I elbowed her. "Alright, here you go. All you got to do is drink this, slowly and it'll start coming back."

Sakura reached for the glass with her hands slightly trembling. I watched in anticipation as she slowly lifted the glass to her lips and titled the cup, the silvery, thick, liquid sliding down her throat. I saw her face grimace as she struggled to keep the contents down.

Ino patted her back encouragingly and as the last drop of silver liquid ran into in her throat, the glass slipped out of her hand and landed with a huge crash on the marble floor. She let out a huge, pained gasp and doubled over in coughs.

"Ucck, that's some nasty stuff." She muttered with a grimace and then another gasp passed from her lips and she began to clutch her head and a small shriek elicited from her mouth, "Stop it!" she gasped out in pain.

I grabbed Sakura's shoulders and looked over at Ino frantically, "What's going on?"

Ino pulled me off of her, "Chill, Romeo. The memories are too strong for her right now, just let the pain pass." She whispered confidently. "She'll be fine."

As if on cue, Sakura's gasps were quieted but her head still remained in between her legs. She lifted her head slowly and she looked around with a child-like wonder at her surroundings. Sakura lifted up her palms and she touched her face cautiously, as if she couldn't' believe that it was all real. "I'm back." She whispered aloud. She seemed unaware that Ino and I were at her side. She grasped the sheets at her side and began to mutter to herself.

I got up from her side and sat in front of her so that she was staring directly at me. She gazed at me, disoriented and dazed. "S-Sasuke?" her eyebrow arched in confusion and I touched her shoulder cautiously.

"Sakura, do you remember now?" I asked hesitantly. "This is Sasuke." I added desperately.

Her head tilted to the side and her lips parted in surprise. Her eyes focused for a second and I saw the memories swimming in her eyes. The life and vivacity was back in those jade eyes. I let out relieved exhale, "Thank God, Sakura." I breathed out.

And then it all happened so fast. Sakura's eyes narrowed angrily and she shot up, away from me. "You!" she cried out in fury, annoyance and bitterness. "Sasuke Uchiha, you-you egotistical, insensitive jerk!"

"Oh, boy." Ino murmured backing away from the bed. "Uh, yup, she's recovered her memories." I glared at her, _no shit Sherlock._

"H-hey Sakura," I held up my hands in self defense. This had been the part I was dreading.

She grabbed me by the collar, "Hey Sakura?' Really? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" she screamed out angrily yanking me back and forth. How the hell could you do that to me? Sap my memories and just show up at my village and play with me like that?" she hissed out venomously.

"C'mon, Sakura, I can explain." I laughed nervously. I threw a frantic look at Ino and mouthed a desperate plea for help. She shrugged and just laughed at me silently.

"Yes, please explain this to me!" she roared on seething with fury. "God, you stupid, stupid Uchiha!" she growled out. She let out a string of foul words that one would normally not hear come out of a pink-haired teenage girl.

Ino looked impressed with Sakura's rampage. She was probably thinking that this was the first time in history that a mortal had gotten the better of a god.

"Please calm down!" I pleaded with her and to my utter surprise she let go of me and tried to breath in deep breaths. I could see her fists clenched tight as she tried to calm her breathing.

She opened her eyes, "You know what? You're right. Let's just settle this." She smiled brightly and instantly dread set in my stomach. That was Sakura's evil smile. I had seen this numerous times and I knew what was just about to happen. Oh, gods, no.

Sakura lifted her hand up and brought it down on my cheek with a loud stinging sound. Oh god.

That was going to leave a mark. A bright red, hand-shaped mark. My pride had been officially crushed to bits.

I heard Ino let out a happy sigh in the background,

"Don't you just love reunions?"

* * *

><p>AN: BAM! WHAT IS THIS! YES, I UPDATE TWO TIMES IN ONE DAY! OOOHH YEAH! I had this one on hand and I was going to update it after Christmas but have it be longer but I was just sitting around and I was aw, what the hell? Why keep you guys in suspense? Just update the damn story, right? I'll just start a new chapter later, what with Winter Break I have so much more time to update, it's awesome.

Thank you guys for your awesome support, just passed the 550+ mark, WOOT WOOT! LOVE YOU GUYS SO DARN MUCH!

P.S. anybody watch the show, once upon a time? That's my new addiction ^^

LOVE,

WRITER4EVERR


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: A Match Made In Heaven (Literally)

SASUKE POV-

"Sakura…I'm sorry."

I repeated wearily for the umpteenth time. It was nearing midnight and Sakura had reluctantly come up to our room, still ignoring me. I had apologized tirelessly every millisecond, yet she still had a cold aura around her that sent chills racing down my cowardly spine. I had faced demonic shifters and black witches yet I couldn't summon the courage to properly apologize to one pink-haired girl. Great.

She bristled past me as she moved to go change into her sleeping clothes, "And as I've said, I don't care." She replied haughtily. She threw her pink hair over her shoulder and threw on a silk robe. "You're going to have to a lot better than saying 'sorry'." She hissed and left the closet and plunked down on the bed.

I sighed and made my way to the bed only causing her to scoot over further on her side only making my irritation and frustration grow. "Sakura!" I snapped with a loud growl.

She didn't flinch as she sat up to stare at me with a cold, steely gaze. "What?" she retorted back with feigned innocence. "Did I do something wrong? Perhaps poison you while you slept and transported you to a whole different dimension?" she quipped sarcastically.

"You know I only wanted to keep you safe from all those shifters." I growled back. "Why can't you see that I was only trying to protect you?" I was going absolutely crazy with frustration.

"Maybe because of the fact that you stole my memories!" she hissed. "Maybe because you made this descision all by yourself and didn't bother to even ask me how I felt about being in danger or leaving you!"

"I knew you would never leave here." I retorted with an angry snarl. I was angry with myself, I knew that she was right, and I knew I was just trying to justify my actions with any excuse. "I knew that you would refuse to leave here and would just put yourself in danger."

She let out a bitter laugh, "You knew?" she echoed. "Sasuke, if you actually knew all the things that happened to me down, there in that damn village then you would understand why I never wanted to go back!" she spat out. "You would understand and hold me and comfort me instead of just shipping me back-"her voice broke at the end and a single tear cascaded down her cheek.

I was at a loss of words as she uttered that final sentence. It was so clear. That I was all I had to do, I just had to be there for her instead of abandoning her and I couldn't even do that. God I was pathetic. "Sakura-"I started weakly.

She shook her head, "You don't know what it feels like to wake up, disoriented, confused and lost. It feels so lonely. Like you were just abandoned by someone who didn't love you. It didn't feel like you were protecting me, Sasuke. It felt like the exact opposite. Perhaps that's why-I feel so-so frustrated and angry about this." She confessed softly.

"I will never abandon you." I replied, my voice thick with emotion. "I know I've done stupid things, but that's just because it's so foreign to me." I admitted in a low tone. "I just don't know how to deal with all this and I make stupid decisions because of it." I breathed out. "We can figure this all out together. I really am sorry for stupid jackass behavior."

She grinned at my words and wrapped her arms around my waist holding me tight as if she never wanted to let go. "To be honest," she murmured, "I don't' think I could ever stay mad at the guy that I love." She murmured with her face burrowed deep in the cloth of my kimono.

I froze at her words and the heat rose to my cheeks. I struggled to maintain my demeanor and croaked out hoarsely, "You love me?" which came out sounding like I was being strangled from behind.

She let go of me, sitting up and looked at up me with a roll of her eyes, "Do I have to say it twice?" she demanded, her cheeks coloring. "Yes, I know that I met you seconds after throwing up on a beach and I know that we didn't exactly start off on the right foot what with you handing me off to a witch while you ran to your mother crying for help. And after all the times that you've teased me and splashed water one me, yes, I do in fact love you." She reported with a huff.

I couldn't believe it. I was speechless at her admission. I moved forwards to hold her tightly but then I stopped as I realized a discrepancy in her statement, one that rather irked me and jabbed at my inflated ego. My mouth opened in protest, "I did not go crying to my mother for help!" I insisted.

"For the love of God, Sasuke, just say you love her too!" A muffled yell came from outside our door. It could only be my intruding mother. For Christ's sake, could she just leave me alone for 1 minute? Why did she have to be eavesdropping now of all moments?

Sakura reddened, "Oh gods." She squeaked out. "Don't tell me there are more people out there eavesdropping with her!" she moaned in embarrassment.

My lip quirked upwards at her embarrassment, something I usually never saw due to her tough-talking demeanor. "So?" I shrugged with a smirk. I leaned in close knowing that it would fluster her and make her nervous. Yup, she was so fun to tease.

Just as I predicted, her face reddened even further to the point where she rivaled Hinata's infamous tomato face. And then her fists came soaring up, punching me square in the jaw, "Don't do that!" she hissed out.

I sputtered backwards holding my injured jaw. "Ow!" I growled. "Don't do what? You're the one that just punched me!" I rubbed the tender skin back and forth. She really needed to lay off on the violence.

She harrumphed and looked away with a frown, "You know what, Uchiha. Trying to make me all nervous with your deceivingly charming ways-don't be flattered that was not a compliment." She scowled while moving towards the bedroom door to expose the eavesdroppers. "I'm not in a very forgiving mood now." She grumbled. "So don't expect to get off easily."

I chuckled, "Even if I said that I loved you too, Sakura Haruno?"

She froze in her steps, her hand outstretched towards the doorknob. Sakura turned around to face me with a small smile on her face, "Then, I might consider." She replied mysteriously. She resumed her actions and opened the door, cautiously.

Almost immediately, my mother came pouncing in, grabbing Sakura by the shoulders. Ino, Tenten, and Naruto trooped in the room with sly smirks upon their faces. I supposed Hinata was too polite to spy on us while Shikamaru was probably too lazy to do so.

Naruto clapped me on the back, "I knew you weren't gay!" he crowed out happily and I spun around to elbow him in the stomach.

Tenten and Ino sidled up to my side, "We knew you could move on from Kuma's tragic death and love somebody else!" They giggled in unison while I struggled not to strangle my two female friends. _Keep calm, Sasuke, you're almost through this. Inhale. Exhale._

"A joyous occasion, indeed." My mother cried out cupping Sakura's face with what she probably thought was tenderness and what Sakura probably thought hurt like hell. "The admission of two lovers is so special." She smiled brightly. "Oh dear, I'll have to call Fugaku to come immediately and cancel my trip back to the Emperor's palace! There's so much to do!" she waved her arms around frantically.

A vein burst somewhere inside of me and I tried to keep calm, "Mother. Calm Down." I gritted out more to myself than to her. "We're not doing anything, there's no reason for you not to go back to Jiraiya and Tsunade-sama."

She tsked at me and put her hands on her hips, "Sasuke, after two people confess their love for each other, naturally, they marry and then they have sex and they produce lovely grandsons and granddaughters for their withering parents." She placed both hands on her hearts, "My, I've always dreamed of having a cute little grandson that I could spoil!" she squealed with delight.

Sakura blanched and I cut in quickly, "Mom," I cringed, "We're taking this slow let's not move on so quickly and if you want a child to spoil why don't you and dad-er, well you know…"

Tenten rolled her eyes, "What Sasuke doesn't have the maturity to say is, why don't you and Fugaku-san have a child of your own since Sasuke and Itachi have already grown up?"

Mikoto pouted, "I don't want another child, I want a grandchild, Sasuke!" she demanded but then her face softened and she turned back to Sakura. "This doesn't mean, I'm pressuring you, dear it just means that Sasuke should take the initiative in the bedroom." She patted Sakura's shoulder. "Trust me, I'm only helping your love life." She reassured Sakura who looked like she was about to faint from embarrassment.

I face palmed, "Mom, could you just not do that?" I asked weakly.

Ino cut in with a more serious look upon her face, "Mikoto-san, as much as I am enjoying watching you make Sasuke squirm with embarrassment, I think we need to focus on a much more serious matter at hand: the subject of Sakura's mortality."

Mikoto instantly dropped the desire of wanting a grandchild and nodded eagerly, "Of course, thank you Ino-chan. This is a quite serious decisions that should be resolved soon if you don't want to age or grow any weaker Sakura."

Irritation grew within me, "I was going to speak to her about this later, after she more time to rest. I don't think that we should be piling this all on right now, Ino."

Sakura pursed her lips together, "I-I think I'd rather discuss this right now." She nodded hesitantly. "You see I have been thinking about this ever since I saw the Misery Flower," she began in a soft murmur.

Ino nodded in understanding, "The immortality elixir is fairly complicated to create but I will be able to make one for you that is if you choose to drink it, of course."

"The chances of you surviving-"I broke off, unable to say aloud the slim chances of success. It would seem too real if the words were left in the air.

Tenten finished my sentence smoothly, "The chances of you surviving are 1 in 10000 however Doctor Rin believes that you have an improved chance since you possess supernatural hematocytes."

Sakura closed her eyes, processing the information, "How much greater of a chance do I have then?"

Tenten's eyes flashed, "1 in 1000. It's still a great risk, but it's something."

Mikoto grasped Sakura's hand, "After you consume the potion you'll fall into a catatonic state and your bodily functions and everything will shut down. It'll be like you're dead, except your heart keeps beating. After 48 hours, you should awaken, immortal and rejuvenated. If not, then your body will remain dormant and your heart will slowly stop beating. I have to warn you, however, during your catatonic state, your body will experience wracking pains, it's not pretty, but that's the price of immortality."

Sakura nodded and swallowed hard, glancing at me. "Sasuke, what do you think?" she asked hoarsely. "Don't give me BS, honest opinion." She whispered.

I clenched my fists together, "I am selfish and therefore, I would want you to consume the elixir, however, if you choose not to, it doesn't change a thing between us." I replied firmly.

She smiled, satisfied with my answer and contemplated it silently for a moment. Tenten looked at her, "I can give you some time, there's no rush. We just wanted you to be aware of what you're heading towards, so think about it—"

"There's no need." Sakura said in a sure tone. "I know already."

I swallowed hard; I already knew what she was going to choose. I didn't know yet how to react or if I should be pleased or upset. My knuckles turned white and Sakura looked at me with an intent gaze and opened her mouth to speak the words that would change her life forever.

"I want to be changed."

* * *

><p>AN: chapter 22~ is out! I hope you guys enjoyed it RAHRAH! So we've passed the 600 mark for reviews and I'm going to take the time to say that I am honestly blown away by all the love and support for this story when I started this out I just thought I would have 100 reviews by the end of this story let alone already have 600 reviews and still not be finished with it, seriously, it's just amazing. I know I don't do reviewer of the week anymore but that's because I seriously just cannot pick because I read each and every one of your guy's reviews and I just like hearing from you guys. The people that take the time to write something out long and thoughtful love you guys! The people that can only write a few words in their busy lives, I still love you guys for even bothering to click that review button! The people that I see reviewing consistently, thank you, love you guys too!

I know some of my chapters are short and I honestly don't update as much as I'd love too and I feel bad about that so my new year's resolution is to start spending more time on these! I hope you guys make great resolutions and have lots of good luck next years ^^

MUCH LOVIN'

WRITER4EVERR


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Phase A Completed, Now For The Rest Of The Alphabet…

SAKURA POV-

We sat there in silence and I didn't know how he would react to my choice. He wouldn't jump up and down in glee, for sure. Lash out in anger? Maybe not. Hopefully not. Be neutral and just walk around grumbling "Hn."? Yeah, that seemed like the most probable thing.

I decided to ask him about the process of the changing. Surely, that wouldn't be too bad, right?"The pain-describe the pain to me." I asked Sasuke hesitantly, dreading his reaction.

He swiveled around instantly to face me, "Don't." he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm already subjected to watching you go through this, why do you want me to describe the hurt you'll have to endure?" he demanded.

My eyes narrowed, "I want to be prepared when I drink the elixir." I answered simply, clutching my knees to my chest. "I didn't mean to anger you." I replied hotly.

His angered expression softened, "Sakura. I don't want to spend these last days arguing with you. I'm not angry, it's just nerve-wracking." He retorted.

"If I'm going to go through this, don't you want me to be prepared?" The confusion was seeping through my tone. Did I make the wrong descision in wanting to be changed? "Don't you want me to be changed?" My voice broke, and I hated sounding so pathetic and needy.

Sasuke put a hand through his hair wearily, "I want you to live forever but at the same time all the risks. I know I promised to let you choose but-"

I interrupted him, "-Sasuke, we'll be fine!" I replied tersely. "I know the consequences and I'm willing to take it if it means I'll live the rest of my days here. You know I wouldn't take this lightly if I wasn't serious about this." I reminded him impatiently.

He faltered with a pained expression on his face, "You don't have to change now, we could wait a few years, a decade, it wouldn't matter that much."

I spoke patiently, "Sasuke, if the potion does fail, we'd just be hurting our selves by waiting longer. We'd just be creating more memories and dig a deeper holes for ourselves to fall into. I can't stay here any longer as a mortal. I need to do this now, or the 'what if's are going to plague me." I stressed with exasperation. "I want to do this now." I insisted stubbornly.

His eyes flashed angrily, "You expect it to fail?" his tone was sharp.

My jade eyes met his steady gaze, "I didn't mean that. I just want to do this the easiest way possible, and for that to be possible, we just need to get this over with, before we hurt ourselves even more."

Sasuke let out a sharp exhale. "Fine." He gritted out. "But I need to have total supervision over Ino. I can't have her mess up the potion."

I nodded eagerly, "Of course. Ino will need your help. I think it'll settle your nerves if you're there. And, Hinata's waiting for me right now. I promised I'd meet her at the library. You go to Ino's workshop, and I'll see you later tonight." I whispered with a firm smile.

His jaw clenched and I couldn't read his expression. I reached up to his chin and turned it so that I could stare at him directly, "You promised." I whispered softly. "You agreed to let me choose my own fate."

He was silent and for a second, I thought he was going to ignore me until he grabbed me roughly to hold me against his chest. A gasp escaped from my throat in surprise and only heard the synchronized rapid thudding of our hearts.

"You hear it?" he asked in a soft, low tone. His arms wrapped even tighter around my waist and I closed my eyes and inhaled in his scent. It was a subtle scent, yet always managed to make me feel relaxed and safe.

"Yeah," I sighed wistfully, "Heart beats. I can hear it."

"I-I just need to hear it for a while. Before you drink the potion." His voice had a hard edge to it as if he was trying to keep himself calm.

I nodded into his chest, closing my eyes. "Let's just stay like this for a while." I agreed and held him closer. I had been scared at first. The prospect of death was never an easy thing to face. I could be dead in a few days or so. But, that was the risk and what awaited me on the other side was something so great, something so worth risking my life.

"We'll be okay." I whispered. "We'll be fine." I had to believe that or Sasuke wouldn't believe it.

* * *

><p>I made my towards the library in a hurried walk, I hadn't meant to spend that much time with Sasuke and consequently I was now 45 minutes late with my meeting with Hinata. It wasn't a really urgent meeting but, I had wanted to talk to her, catch up on everything that happened since I had been gone. But now, I was the one that had bailed on her even though I had arranged the meeting. Way to go, Sakura Haruno.<p>

I nearly skidded to a stop as I turned the corner to face the gilded doors and the stout goblin sitting in on the stool, lounging about. "Hey, do you think, we could speak that riddle part? I'm kind of late." I panted out hurriedly.

He clucked his tongue together and shook his head, "Uh, uh, uh. No can do, it won't be long." He smiled slyly. "What am I?

_In marble walls as white as milk,  
>Lined with a skin as soft as silk,<br>Within a fountain crystal clear,  
>A golden apple doth appear.<br>No doors there are to this stronghold,  
>Yet thieves break in and steal the gold."<em>

I wracked my mind, "Shit. Shit. Shit." I muttered out and the goblin's eyebrow quirked up at my profanity. "Ah, shit, it's an egg! An egg!" I exclaimed impatiently.

"Well done, my lady." He bowed forward and the door creaked open. I moved past him impatiently and I immediately saw Hinata sitting at the table, patient as ever. "Ah, shoot, Hinata! I'm so sorry, I'm late-"

She smiled benevolently, "There's no problem, I was actually late too, I just came a few moments ago. Sasuke?" she asked knowingly.

I colored, "Yeah." The heat rose to my cheeks and I ducked my head behind the bookshelf to hide my embarrassment. I swear I saw her smirk through the little holes in the bookshelf.

I perused through the bookshelf and glanced back towards Hinata's grim expression as she rubbed a hand over her swollen belly, "So how much longer?" I spoke up with interest.

She looked up, startled at my voice and bit down on her lip, "Doctor Rin says the baby could come in a few weeks or so…" she murmured.

I frowned, had I heard that right? Her baby would be due in less than a month? I hadn't been gone that long, only about a month or so. My eyebrow quirked upwards, "Is there something about immortal reproduction that I should know? You were definitely not 7 months pregnant when you found out about the baby." I accused her playfully.

Hinata's solemn expression broke into a grin, "Ah, since the baby contains immortal blood, its growth speeds up enabling its birth in only 5 months. I was 3 months pregnant when I found out, we only start to show in the last month or so." She replied knowingly.

My eyes widened, "That would explain a lot. Are you nervous?"

Her fingers clenched together tightly, "Of course, I would be lying if I said I wasn't. I just don't know what's going to happen, if I'm ever going to bond with Naruto-kun or not." Sadness flitted across her face and a pang went through my heart. I put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close.

"It'll be fine…" I whispered, "Whether or not you bond to Naruto or not doesn't matter. You love him, he loves you, and you found each other without anybody's help or direction. I think that matters a lot more than some stupid tattoo on your wrist." I consoled her with a warm smile.

Her lips pursed together tightly, "I know, he reminds me of that every day. But my nerves and hormones just keep getting to me and stressing me out!" she exclaimed with frustrating, wringing her hands together. "I don't know what the hell I'm going to name the baby, Ino wants me to name it after her and I just-"

I held up a name to stop her mid-rant, "Hold up. Ino wants you to name your child after her? Please, don't tell me that you're actually considering her suggestion." I deadpanned.

Hinata let out a light laugh, "Of course not, but that doesn't stop her from badgering me day and night. I was actually considering the name, Emi for a girl. It means, beautiful blessing." She paused with a radiant smile on her face. "Naruto suggested Shouta for a boy, meaning to soar or fly."

I nodded my approval, "For once, Naruto actually has made a good descision." Hinata laughed shakily but she looked distracted and I frowned, "Are you alright?"

She nodded hastily, "Yeah, I'm fine." She shrugged, "But what about you, shouldn't you be more nervous?" she questioned curiously.

I tried to answer nonchalantly, "I am nervous." I admitted. "But, who wouldn't be, you know? This is just another thing I'm going to overcome." I replied defiantly. There was no way I was going to let other people know how sick to the stomach I felt about the whole thing, how scared I was about drinking the elixir. My insides were roiling with the conflict of loving Sasuke and the fear of death.

Hinata smiled warmly, "You're a strong girl, Sakura. I believe that you too will overcome all these obstacles of immortality. I just want you to know, that I know you'll be alright. Fate ordained you and Sasuke be together, you will survive this. I believe it." She clutched my hand with her blue eyes shining. Her eyes looked at me steadily, as if she knew that my act was all a sham and that I was truly scared.

I felt myself choking up and I could only murmur quick thanks before squeezing Hinata' hand, so tight that I could feel the color leaving my knuckles. The salty tears began to fall and I hastily reached up to wipe them up before they could splatter all over my face. Life never was easy, but that didn't mean that I could bear the thought of having it taken away in just a few seconds.

Hinata looked at me sadly and embraced me softly, "You don't have to keep pretending, Sakura. You don't have to hide it all in."

I was too choked up to reply so I did the only thing that I was able to do.

Cry.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV<p>

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Ino mused from behind her cauldron, as she poured various herbs and thick concoctions into her brew. "I mean, who would've thought, after 200 plus years, you would get a mortal girlfriend, and I would be the one concocting her immortality elixir? I mean, certainly, you couldn't have imagined it, you were too busy drooling over your stuffed bear." She smirked from her place and I threw her a glare in response.

"Yeah, well. It's happening." I sighed tiredly. "She's hiding her pain though. I think she's doing it for my sake." I mused more to myself than to Ino.

Ino's eyebrow quirked upwards with a curious look, "That sounds like Sakura. She always has to act tough. I think it's because she's a mortal so she feels like she has to compensate for her fragility." She replied thoughtfully.

I sat down, with a plunk on a wooden chair. "That actually makes sense." I murmured. "But, still, she wants to go through with it and so—"I trailed off not knowing quite what to say.

Ino grabbed a small jar which was labeled in large red letters, 'Dragon Spit' and poured several drops into the cauldron, causing silver smoke to rise up. My nose wrinkled, "That's nasty." I muttered under my breath.

She shot me a sly grin, "Hey! You were the one that wanted to monitor me, so this is what goes on in the daily brewing of a witch. You got first-class VIP tickets, be grateful." She laughed playfully.

"I feel anything but grateful right now." I grumbled as the stench of dragon saliva filled the room. "Anyways, when is thins going to be completed, sometime soon, I hope?" My fingers were twitching with anxiety.

She nodded solemnly, "All that remains is the Misery Flower." She replied quietly. Ino reached over to her cupboards and withdrew a clear jar filled with water and a single red flower hung in the center of the liquid as if suspended in air. She unscrewed the lid and gingerly, removed the fragile red flower with blood red petals.

Tossing it into the air, above the cauldron, she caught it in her fist swiftly, and squeezed hard. The crackling of the stem and petals were all that were heard in the silent room. The red juice trickled down her hand, each droplet, slowly making its way into the brew. With each drop, a hiss would emanate and then a gold wisp of smoke went through the air.

Drop. Hiss. Wisp. Over and over again until no more juice fell more the drained broken petals.

Ino closed her cerulean eyes and began murmuring the spell; I drew in a deep breath, knowing that this was actually happening. IT wasn't some kind of foreign concept anymore but that we were actually going to attempt to chance Sakura.

_Ā sono chi wa dono yō ni amai jikkō takuwae _

* * *

><p><em>Watashi no te no mama ni shite, eien no ketsueki o fuyo <em>

_Mizarī no hana wa, kiite kure! Kanojo wa, henkō suru ishi ga aru_

_No jōmyaku no fukai jikkō sa reru erikusā o fuyo shimasu__._

Her voice rose at the last line and her eyes flashed open. Wordlessly, she moved to the cupboard again, this time to retrieve an empty flask. She tilted the flask into the brew to extract the dark red liquid. Ino finished, capping the flask and handed it to me.

I took the flask with care and noticed that it seemed heavier than normal. This would be what either caused Sakura's death or immortal life.

"I did my part. Now all we do is wait and see." She murmured softly. "That's the worst part." She chuckled mirthlessly and headed out the door.

* * *

><p>AN: holy effing crap. I have not updated since last year. That sounds really bad and it is really bad. I apologize for making you guys wait for like, ever but here it is chapter 23! It's a little boring but this is a filler chapter which will segway into Sakura actually drinking it and some weird things will occur while she's under. HEHEHEH ^^ it's snowing where I'm living, so yay, hopefully that means no school which also means more time to update so keep your fingers crossed that it keeps snowing where I am!

So just in case you didn't know, one of my reviewers did their own version of this story called "Just My Luck" by In the Buisness of Misery but it's in the Last Airbender universe, it's really cool so check it out! If any of you guys wanted to do something similar, by all means go ahead and do so just send me the title of the story because I love checking your guy's stories out :)

P.S. (not really relevant note) but I just watched inception! *squeal* I know that it came out in like 2010, but I haven't watched it until now and it was amazing, and spectacular and all the good words you can say about it. Any other Joseph Gordon-Levitt fans out there? HAHA !

P.P.S follow me on twitter writer4evver creative, no? i'll tweet about updates and more goodies about bride of the water goddd !

LOVE YA'LL,

Writer4everr


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: My Heart Will (Hopefully) Go On.

SAKURA POV-

I know that I had wanted to take the potion right away, after it had been completed, but seeing Sasuke and Ino walk through the door carrying a flask that contained the elixir. I swallowed hard but tried to maintain a calm demeanor for the sake of Sasuke and for the sake of my own sanity.

All I had to do was take one sip. And the rest would be up to fate. God, I hoped that fate would be reliable. I stared uncomfortably at the clear flask of thick red liquid, resembling a pool of blood. "This is it?" I croaked out. I coughed lightly in a weak attempt to clear my throat.

Ino nodded, "This is it." She uncapped the flask and poured the red liquid into a crystal wine glass. She proffered the wine glass to me and I moved to take it hesitantly. Sasuke looked at me concernedly and I forced my hands to stop shaking.

"Sakura, we don't have to rush this." He suggested uncertainly, "We don't have to do this right away."

I shrugged nonchalantly and inhaled deeply, "I'm good." My voice came out higher than usual but I took the wine glass firmly and sloshed it back and forth watching the liquid move slowly. "Er, while I'm out of it, what will happen?"

Ino answered smoothly, "We'll rest your body down in a room, take care of it while you're under and if you wake up, you'll be good as new." She quickly rushed over the word 'if' and I winced. Right, I had almost forgotten that this changing this wasn't 100 percent guaranteed.

I felt Sasuke hold my hand tightly and I was grateful for the warmth radiating off his body. It made me feel calmer, but my nerves still shook and I tried to stop shaking. "I-If this doesn't work, Sasuke—"I trailed off and kept my eyes down, I couldn't look at him, it would just make my resolve break. I drew in a shaky breath, "I'll always—"

I felt his finger press against my open lips, shushing me. I looked up surprised to see him smiling, "I'll see you in 48 hours, yeah?" He brushed his fingertips over my jaw line in slow circles that sent butterflies going through my stomach.

My eyes widened and I swallowed the lump down. Since when was Sasuke an optimist? And since when had I become such a pessimist? A genuine smile graced my lips and I pulled his finger away from my mouth. I leaned forward to press my lips urgently against his. Somewhere behind me, I heard Ino groan in mock annoyance but I ignored it, pulling Sasuke closer to me.

He responded with equal urgency and I was losing myself into his kisses, the soft warmth pressed against my swollen lips spurred me on and yet, I knew that if this continued, I would be so much more reluctant to take a sip of the elixir. I was the one to pull apart reluctantly and I saw Sasuke's half-stunned and half-dazed look with a giggle. "I love you." I whispered softly, trying to swallow down the need to feel his warmth once more.

I unclenched my fingers from his kimono and hastily grabbed for the wine glass and shut my eyes tight and tilted the wine glass against my open mouth and felt the thick liquid slide down my throat. It felt syrupy and tasted cherry-sweet but I swallowed it all down, grimacing and feeling a burn start at the back of my throat.

A ringing started in my ears, soft musical rings fluttering in between my eardrums impairing my senses and making me feel disoriented. I felt myself stumble and somebody grabbed my arm tightly, trying to steady me but I couldn't focus on who it was, I was too focused on the pain that was starting to envelop my body, one limb at a time.

The pain in my throat began to blaze angrily and I clutched at it trying to smother the flames from the outside but it burned steadily. "S-Stop it-"I croaked out hoarsely. I didn't have time to say much as a cracking sensation hit my legs and arms. I cried out in pain, it felt as if somebody was taking a hammer to my bones and hitting it over and over again. My vision was now completely clouded with tears and I struggled to stay conscious. I had known that it would hurt, but the pain was so much more than that. This was unimaginable pain; nothing could have prepared me for this.

I felt my heart squeeze painfully in my chest trying to beat steadily against all the pain acting against it. I clutched at the cloth on my chest trying to relieve the pain and pressure. My heart gave another squeeze and I fell to the floor, my cheek falling against the cold marble tile. My limbs were splayed about the floor usefully, I was paralyzed by pain.

There was only one sound that I could make out before I completely blacked out, just a slow, steady, _thump _of my weakened heart.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

Sakura's body completely slumped on the floor and it took all of my self-control not to gather up her still body and call for medical aid. I took in a deep breath and glanced at Ino, "Shall we call Rin, now?"

Ino nodded, "Yes, we should start setting up all the necessary equipment to monitor her pulse and her breathing. If her vitals start to fail us before the 48 hours, we need to be prepared." Her ice eyes hardened and then she turned to me. "Sasuke, you know the risks, if it doesn't turn out as we want it to you need to calm your emotions, you must not get emotionally riled up, it'll spell out trouble if you do."

My eyes hardened, "I am aware of that." I answered sharply.

She observed me again, "Good. I'll go get Rin, and you set her body on the bed." She instructed before turning on her heel and out the door.

I made my way towards Sakura's still body and if I had just walked on I would've sworn that she was peacefully sleeping. Her jade eyes were closed, her long eyelashes curling over her pale skin. Her pink lips were curved into a grimace of pain as if she was experiencing a nightmare in her sleep but I knew that it was the immense pain that she was feeling. I gritted out a quiet oath and put my arm under neck and legs, carrying her to the bed. Propping, her head on a pillow, I smoothed out her pink tendrils of hair and watched anxiously the small rise and fall of her chest. The sign that she was still alive, that blood still pumped through her body and breathe escaped from her body that was the only thing that would keep me sane while I would wait for 2 days.

* * *

><p>10 hours later…<p>

INO POV-

"She's alright?" Sasuke asked for about the umpteenth time.

Rin chuckled at his constant nagging and she turned to him, "Uchiha-san, I assure you, she is doing perfectly fine. Although it's only been about 10 hours, I'm sure she'll be fine. I've never see vitals be this strong." She reassured him for the umpteenth time.

I turned to my raven-haired friend and saw the dark bags underneath his eyes. "Tsk! You really need to get some sleep, you look horrible." I teased him.

He looked at me for one second and this gaze returned to Sakura's sleeping form. "Speak for yourself." He muttered.

I punched him on the shoulder, "I'm serious, Sasuke-kun. This isn't healthy. Go rest. You heard Rin-san, she'll be fine."

Sasuke looked at Rin reluctantly who in turn nodded with a benign smile. "I-I don't know…" he mumbled anxiously.

Rolling my eyes, "Look, I'll stay here, go sleep!" I pushed him off the sofa and nudged him towards the door. You're sleeping beauty will be fine." I growled.

He threw one frantic look over his shoulder and then he left reluctantly, slouching towards his room. I smirked at my victory and closed the door, returning to my place on the sofa.

My eyes blinked wearily as I tried to stay awake. I stretched languidly and yawned loudly, summoning a warm blanket with a flick of my fingers.

Rin glanced at me from behind her thick brown hair, "You tired? I can watch Sakura's vitals for the rest of the night, you should go rest." She suggested kindly.

I shook my head, "Ah, no, it's fine." I mumbled. "I promised Sasuke I'd stay here, if I leave, Sasuke will come back in here and just stare at Sakura like some love-sick zombie."

The doctor chuckled and she moved over towards Sakura's peaceful form. Saturated chakra strings hung off of Sakura's body all connecting to wind around a single long-stemmed flower, placed on the bed-side table. The flower's petals shone brightly with health and didn't show the slightest sign of wilting. The flower was an indication of Sakura's health and helped to monitor her pulse and vitals. If the petals began to brown and fall, it meant that Sakura's health was failing.

"So, I hear you're helping Hinata's give birth." I tried to make conversation in the silent air.

She nodded but a frown came over her face, "About that, I hope everything goes well for the two of them. Hinata's been fretting about it lately and it's having some negative effects on the baby. All that stress she has about bonding, I fear, the baby will be born premature, sick and weakly." Rin informed me in a clipped tone.

I sat up immediately, the sleep gone. "What the hell? This is my first time hearing about this!" I interjected sharply. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

Rin sighed patiently, "Because Ino-san, I didn't even tell Hinata the danger, do you know how much that stress is multiplied if there is a chance her baby won't be born healthy? It'll just do more harm than good." She explained logically.

My mind was working overtime, If her baby was normally due in about a few weeks time, when would it be due if it was premature? "When do you think the baby will be coming, then?" I asked urgently.

The doctor bit her lip anxiously, "At the latest, a week." She answered softly.

I just about collapsed on the sofa, "Great so now we have Hinata's baby problems to worry about and we have Sakura's comatose body that we have to keep alive." I groaned. Shit. Sasuke did not need more strain on his back. I knew how protective he was of Hinata, he saw her as a sister and if he knew about this whole 'premature' business he would freak and that was the last thing we needed.

I heard Rin take in a sharp breath and I groaned, "Oh now, what?" I demanded half-kidding. Surely, it wouldn't be as bad as the other problems that we had.

"Ino-san, I'm going to have to ask you to remain calm and assist me." Rin's voice informed me in a calm, mechanical voice. "Seal the doors and have your potions at hand." Her voice was shaking now and I sat up, trying to see what was wrong. Surely it couldn't be…

My eyes fell on the long-stemmed flower only to see that the edges of the petals were browning and creeping over the satiny petal like a shade. My heart nearly stopped. Shit. Sakura.

Rin tossed me a flask and I opened it to sniff cautiously at it. I nearly gagged at the strong smell. I recognized it immediately; it was _subete no chiyu_, one of the strongest potions used only in dire situations.

"Sakura's health is faltering, now work with me, or we'll lose her."

* * *

><p>AN: Hi guys writer4everr here! School was canceled and so I had tons of time to work on this, I hope you guys enjoyed it ^^ what's going to happen to Sakura ?

Thank you too all that reviewed, love ya'll! And, from the actual manhwa I don't think I will include anything else from that because I mean, it's kind of gone off in a whole different direction, but who knows? Anything is possible :)

Follow me on twitter: ('at' sign) writer4everr (I had a typo last chapter, sorry 'bout that) it'll have stuff about bride of the water god and sneak peeks about the chapters, yayay!

SEE YA SOON,

WRITER4EVERR


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Brother to Brother

SAKURA POV-

It felt strange. And that was all I could comprehend amidst the darkness and silence of my mind. There was something unsettling taking over my body.

A cool, numbing sensation was beginning to creep onto my body, first encasing my toes and making its way up the smooth expanse of my legs. The numbness smothered out the pain wherever it touched upon. But strangely, I felt no relief from the pain. Unease began to take a hold of me and I tried to focus my mind on logic rather than the cool numbness contrasting with the fiery pain. Why was the pain subsiding? Hadn't Mikoto told me that the pain was supposed to be nonstop for 48 hours? Had 2 days already passed and I had just lost track of time? I doubted it. It didn't feel right. I was supposed to feel revitalized and youthful not as if a dark cloud was looming over my paralyzed body. My body twitched in frustration, why couldn't I know what was going on?

Fear bloomed in my mind as I tried to avoid one theory regarding my current situation. Perhaps, the elixir hadn't worked. I hadn't beaten the odds and I was never going to see Sasuke, Ino, Tenten, Hinata or Naruto again. My heart pulsed painfully, Sasuke. He had promised that we were going to see each other. _It was all just an illusion._ I thought bitterly. We were only trying to disguise the fact that I had much more of a chance of dying than surviving. He had known that. I had known that. I just hadn't wanted to face it.

My heart gave another pulse and I heard, with horror, how weak it sounded. How quiet and slow the pulse had become. I was slipping away from life. _Sasuke!_ I screamed desperately in my mind. My body was still paralyzed? My mouth stayed closed shut. My eyes wouldn't even flutter open. My fingers could only twitch sporadically. Was this really how it was going to end up?

"…her heartbeat is fading, grab the flask." A steady voice ordered, breaking into my silent mind. If I could have, my eyes would have flashed open in surprise. I struggled to recognize the voice but it sounded vaguely like Doctor Rin. Hearing that gave me a resurgence in hope. _She was trying to save me._ I tried to will my heartbeat into beating stronger and louder.

_Beat. Just stay strong. Beat_! I urged on. I tried to focus on my heartbeats. _1. 2. 3._

"The brown isn't receding!" A panicked voice came again. I recognize it faster this time, Ino. "Oh, god." I heard her moan.

My finger twitched in irritation at the witch's words. I was fighting back! I was trying to stay alive. And then I heard a sharp intake of breath, "Her fingers, they just moved." A soft whisper exclaimed in surprise. That was Ino again.

Rin's calm voice came again. "She's probably gained her hearing back and feeling in her fingers." A tinge of worry came into her voice and my brow wrinkled in confusion? Wasn't that good?

Ino let out a harsh curse, "Damn it all! Sakura if you can hear me, don't panic but that means that the elixir might be failing. The Elixir is supposed to keep your body paralyzed and your senses blocked. We're working to help you but if you can just focus on repelling the numbness and only think about the fiery pain. It might be painful but that's the only thing you can do if you want to help yourself." She called out desperately.

My fingers twitched in response and I tried to remember the fiery raging and recall the pain. I heard Ino's voice began to echo over head, "Focus Sakura!" she called out desperately. My teeth were practically grinding against each other as I tried with every ounce of might to feel it.

_I want to see Sasuke again!_ I thought desperately, repeating that mantra again and again. A flame of heat shot up my toes, reviving the pain in my toe, burning away the numbness. Triumph swelled inside my chest and I continued focusing on that fire and expanding it over the length of my body.

Rin's steady voice broke into my thoughts, "Her pulse is regaining strength. Manage the liquid going into her veins and I'll tend to the flower-"A crashing sound broke into the echo of voices and I heard a livid growl. It was low and definitely belonged to a male. Rin's voice continued in a calm tone, addressing whoever had just walked in. "Please step away, sir." My fingers twitched once again, out of irritation. Who was it?

"Like hell I will, Rin! You told me she was going to be okay! I step away for a few hours and I come back to this? Thanks for that enchantment on the door, Ino." A feral voice spat out. A chill raced down my spine and I broke my concentration, yearning to her the voice once more. Sasuke. He was here. I could hear his voice…the ache grew in my chest and I forgot about the fiery pain, only wanting to be closer to his touch.

"I was only doing what Rin was instructing." Ino responded coolly. "You want her to live? Step away." I panicked, _No, don't go! _I wanted to cry out loud, but there was that numbing sensation once more, creeping back over my legs.

"Shit! Her pulse is fading out again-Sakura, focus!" Rin's voice now broke away from the calm monotone. "Sasuke-san, I won't ask you twice! She was regaining health and you're breaking her focus! If you want your bride to live, you best seal the door once more and keep your mouth shut." She growled out just short of a snarl.

Sasuke let out a harsh oath and I heard his soft murmuring, most likely an incantation. I eased back into the darkness of my mind and focused once more onto the fiery pain. Hearing Sasuke's voice had done more than motivate me, it empowered me. That was what this whole pain was for. This was what I was going to have to endure if I wanted to see him or anybody else again. I breathed easily feeling the burn start up once more.

"Good, good." Rin encouraged me. "You're doing great, just continue like this and you'll be immortal in no time." She murmured.

"Rin-san, the brown is beginning to fade." Ino quietly informed the doctor. And then came a breath of relief from Sasuke.

A satisfied sound came from Rin and I felt her hand enclose around mine. The warmth of her hand was reassuring, I tried to respond back to it, but my fingers felt too heavy to respond. "Soon, Sakura, your body will revert back to its normal paralysis and we won't be able to speak to you. You have about 30 more hours to go and you'll be free from the fire." She spoke so reassuringly that I sank back into my mind willingly; I could do this for 30 more hours.

Sasuke's voice came closer, but it sounded a lot more echo-y like we were in a tunnel. I only heard one word from him before the fire reclaimed my senses,

"Sakura…"

* * *

><p><em>17 hours have passed since start of transformation…<em>

SASUKE POV-

Queasiness roiled around in my stomach and I struggled to contain the contents of my stomach down. I let out a disgusted growl and sat back down on the sofa next to Sakura's bedside, the sight of her peaceful slumber, calming down my sickness.

Ino glanced over at me and tossed me another herb, "Nibble on it. It'll make your stomach feel better." She turned back to monitoring Sakura's vitals and hummed cheerily.

My eyes narrowed as I examined the leaf and gave it a cautious nibble. The herb dissolved immediately in my mouth and sent a cleansing feel through my body, clearing up the bile. I coughed out "thanks" and returned to watching Sakura's slow, rhythmic breaths.

Ino turned around again and I felt her eyes boring into my skull. She kept quiet and merely observed me. "31 more hours." She said in a soft murmur. "She'll make it through alive."

"We don't know that." I kept my eyes trained on Sakura. "I'm not going to think about anything until I see her with her eyes open and she's moving like an actual live being should." I muttered harshly.

She was quiet for a minute, contemplating whether or not to push me but then decided against it. "Suit yourself, Sasuke. I'll just be—"

The door opened with a soft creak and in stepped the last person I was expecting. Itachi stepped in with a hesitant look upon his face and Ino immediately stepped forward to greet him courteously. "Itachi-san!"

Itachi smiled thinly at her and nodded politely. "Yamanaka-san, if you don't mind, I'd like a word or two with my brother." I cringed at his words. Really, what did he want to talk about now? I wasn't sure if I was going to be talking to Confucius Itachi or Pseudo-father Itachi.

Ino nodded, "Of course, just be quick, I don't want to leave Sakura's body unattended for too long." She glanced back at Sakura's form anxiously.

"Of course Yamanaka-san, it won't take longer than a few minutes." My brother answered quickly throwing a look at me. I merely shrugged as Ino left the room, leaving the two of us alone.

"How is she?" he asked with what sounded like genuine curiosity.

"She's fine."

"That's great."

"I guess."

"….."

I shifted uncomfortably in the awkward silence. "Is there anything else you want to say?" my tone edged on annoyance.

Itachi moved to stand in front of me head-on-head and he started with a long sigh. Oh joy. "Look, Sasuke…" Oh boy. Here it goes. Pseudo-father Itachi. "I know we haven't been on the best terms as of late." He admitted reluctantly.

My eyebrow rose, "Really?" I questioned sarcastically.

"After my faulty advice of telling you to send her back to the human world, I realize I was wrong to tell you to do so. I just didn't want you to end up hurt as I did, years ago with that whole scandal." He let out a long breath and his eyes flickered over to Sakura with almost nervousness.

"It's fine." I answered brusquely. "It's not like I haven't given bad advice. And it's not your fault she's lying there, barely an inch from death." I muttered broodingly.

Itachi was silent for a second and then he sat down next to me on the couch. "Did I ever tell you what really happened about that whole scandal with the mortal?" he asked simply.

That caught my attention. I turned around, surprised to hear his words. "Uhm, no." I blurted out. I really never had heard what went down 60 years ago. All I had heard from bits and pieces of gossip was that Itachi was ridiculed for aiding a mortal. I hadn't bothered to ask Itachi for any more details. That had been around when we stopped talking to each other.

"Ah." He murmured. "Well, here's it is." He chuckled mirthlessly.

"I met her on a spontaneous visit down to the human world. I hadn't even planned on spending much time there but I ended up going down to some village and just roaming around trying to get away from father. And I saw her there. Her name was Ayumi." He paused, his eyes far away. I had never seen him like this. So wistful, so full of regret…Itachi's dominating characteristic was that he never made a mistake and that he always knew the right choice. This wasn't like him at all.

"She reminded me so much of myself, kind of a loner always walking around by herself." He gave a slight laugh. "She told me that she found it surprising that she actually enjoyed my company and that her first impression of me had been some pervert, stalking through the village." He gave another laugh but it sounded more pained this time.

"How long did you stay there?" My question was barely above a whisper.

He looked upwards, mentally calculating in his head. "Almost 3 months, it didn't seem like that long, until I got a summoning from father, demanding me back at the palace. By that time, I was so attached to Ayumi. She was so carefree and it was so different from all the strict regulations and rules that exist in the Uchiha household. It was like a breath of fresh air from all the duties that I had waiting for me back home." Another pause. "I didn't want to leave her. She was an orphan and she was all alone, a reject of society. So I made the rash decision of bringing her with me back to the palace."

"You loved her?" I asked quietly. I didn't expect him to answer, he wasn't one to divulge his deep emotions to anyone, especially not me but his next words surprised me.

"Did I love her? Undoubtedly." He responded, so sure of himself. "I did. And I was blinded by that for a second, wanting father to see her, wanting mother to see her, wanting _you_ to see her. But, as you heard, things didn't go quite the romantic way I had all planned it out to be."

He paused once more in a silence of deep contemplation. "S-She was even more ridiculed here. She was lambasted for her mortal blood, and 60 years ago, things were so much more prejudiced against mortals. I think that, all that broke her, she was depressed just being here, having to step out and have glares follow wherever she went."

"She was in so much pain that I simply decided that I couldn't bear to see her like that. I paid off some cheap witch to whip up an amnesia potion, slipped it in her wine and that was it. Then every memory of me was gone from her and I delivered her back to the mortal world. That was it."

"What became of her?" my question as more hesitant this time.

"She died just before Sakura arrived." My eyes widened in surprise at the calmness in his voice. "I occasionally checked in on her, after I drained her memories, and saw if she was doing alright. 10 years had passed, she had met some man. 5 years later, they married. Another 5 years later, she had twins. 10 years later and she was a devoted wife and mother…" his voice trailed off. "And every time I saw her there was always that question of 'what if?'. What if it was _me_ who had married her, have children with her. The questions always popped up whenever I saw her."

A question struck me, "So why in the hell would you suggest that I send Sakura back if you had already been through all that pain with Ayumi?" I demanded.

"I didn't want it to advance further into a need for Sakura. I thought it was better to cut it off before it stretched on." He rebutted, but his eyes softened. "I see now, that my intervention was rash and stupid and for that I apologize. I really do hope we can get on better terms, Sasuke."

I nodded but kept my gaze on him steady, "Why are you telling me this? Why now?"

He sighed, "Look, I know you're nervous about Sakura and I wanted to tell you that if I could go back and redo everything with Ayumi, I would. I envy you for being able to make this choice. I think that you and Sakura made the right decision." He stated firmly.

A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed hard, "Thanks." I managed out. "It means a lot. Even if we're still kind of distant." I smiled weakly at him.

Itachi chuckled, "About that, can we have a truce?" he extended his hand and I lifted mine up to meet his in a firm grasp.

"Truce." I smirked. "Now it feels like we're actually related."

Itachi flashed a matching smirk, "Dear Lord. We wouldn't want people to get that impression, would we?"

A/N: Hi guys it's writer4everr, sorry for updating so late but a teacher of mine passed away recently and so that kind of threw me a curveball and gave me writer's block. But hopefully, I'm back on my feet and ready to spit out updates like rapid fire. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! TTYL!

MUCH LOVE,

WRITER4EVERR


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Crescent Beginning

* * *

><p><em>39 hours have passed since the start of transformation. 9 hours remaining.<em>

SAKURA POV-

Let me be the first to tell you. The sensation of being burnt to a crisp is not pleasant. It is probably the most excruciating feeling that you can ever feel. But let me also be the first to tell you, after you're subjected to hours of the same pain over and over again, you start to be able to block it out. Start to learn how to focus on more less painful things. Like how I would soon be able to see all my friend's faces again, become immortal and live alongside Sasuke as fate would want me to. All that was a so much better thought then having to think of the pain. My body was coming to the end of the pain though, I could feel it. There were only a few more hours left of this and I would finally be set free.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

"9 more hours." Ino breathed out in exhilaration. Her immortality is basically guaranteed now. "She shot me a triumphant look, "See? Nothing to worry about."

Itachi nodded, his brow furrowed. "It's good news. But let's not get ahead of ourselves." He chastised the witch gently. I lifted my head up to stare at Sakura's still-peaceful form. As if she was just sleeping, her chest rising up and down evenly.

"I agree with Itachi." I intoned. Huh. I had never thought I would ever say that.

Ino's nose wrinkled up in distaste, "Does pessimism run in the Uchiha family?" she questioned bitingly.

The corner of Itachi's eyes crinkled and his lip quirked up in a half-smile, "Only passes down to the males." He commented in a light tone.

Ino scowled at him, "Apparently so does the inability to tell jokes." She got up out of her chair by Sakura's bedside. "I'm going to get something to eat, do you guys want anything?"

Itachi shook his head, "Nah, I'm fine. Sasuke?" he glanced over at me.

"Don't bother." I answered and then I added with a smirk, "I never know if you'll slip some poison in to my food."

Itachi let out a small laugh and high-fived me. I cracked a smile. It felt good to joke around; I had been too stressed out with Sakura's transformation. But now, less than 10 hours remained. The stress was slowly ebbing away. Itachi had been a suprisingly helpful person. In just the short hours of Sakura's transformation our relationship had gotten so much better that it was crazy to think that I had loathed him when Sakura first came here.

Ino tossed her platinum strands over her shoulder, I could hear her teeth grinding together as she struggled to put on a sugary-sweet smile. "I'm glad that you two are suddenly getting all cuddly and brotherly together but what I don't appreciate is that you two are bonding over the fun of insulting me!" she huffed out and stormed out of the room.

"I like this new brotherly alliance." Itachi commented nonchalantly. "And now I know why you've been friends with her since childhood."

I smirked, "Yup. It's fun to tease her isn't it?"

"Immensely so, now we have something to for the last 6 hours." He grinned as he got up to pour two glasses of wine, handing me one of them. "To the best of luck." He held up his own glass of wine and I followed, clinking our wine glasses together.

"To the best of luck." I echoed.

* * *

><p>HINATA POV-<p>

"Aah, yes this is good, Hinata." Doctor Rin's warm hands ghosted over my swollen belly and she pressed gently. "How do you feel?" she asked politely, looking up at me expectantly.

I blushed red as her hands reached to the underside of my belly. Even though it was Rin, I was never comfortable with somebody touching my naked skin, except for Naruto. I sucked in a deep breath and nodded quickly, "I feel fine. Is the baby fine?" I added anxiously.

Rin's face fell to a grimace for one second before she composed her expression. I mustered a hard look to let her know that I hadn't missed her falter in composure. She didn't meet my gaze, "About the baby, Hinata-chan. I've done tests and I believe it will be born…premature."

My heart sank as I heard that word every expecting woman dreaded, premature. "Premature?" I echoed shakily. "B-but I haven't taken any alcohol or-"

She put up a hand to stop my mini-panic attack. "Hinata-san, I believe it was all the stress on your body regarding your bonding situation. I want you to please not stress for the sake of the baby's health. It'll do well for you not to fret. The baby is actually slowing down in growth, which is good. The immediacy of the birth is put off. I expect the baby in a week, no less."

"A-A week?" I stammered. Was this supposed to be good news? The baby wasn't supposed to be born that quickly! I was still supposed to have time to think things through with Naruto-kun…speaking of him, how would he deal with these news? Everybody was preoccupied with Sakura and so I hadn't given my baby a second thought. But now I had a week?

Rin put on a stern look, "Remember, no stress. It will be fine. Sasuke-san's palace provides only the best medical technology. We just have to be extra careful." She reassured me with a gentle coo. The cooing did nothing to calm my nerves. If anything, it just helped my stomach roil queasily.

I stood up feeling nauseous. Pulling the robe down over my cold skin, I shook my head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Rin-san, excuse me!" I muttered, moving towards the door. I needed to get out of here. I needed to leave this palace. I wanted to get out of this gloomy water region, go back to the sunny beaches of Naruto's castle where I felt most comfortable. Somewhere, at the back of my mind I heard Rin calling for me but I ignored it.

The only people I was concerned about right now were Naruto and the little heartbeat struggling for life within me. And I'd be damned if I didn't do everything in my power to help it succeed.

I turned a corner only to bump into the one person that I hadn't wanted to see now. Not when I was like _this._ Not when I was a huge blubbering mess of emotions and stress and-

Naruto held my arm gently and leaned down to brush his lips over mine and I held in a whimper of frustration. _Please don't_. I begged silently. "What's wrong?" he whispered, his bright blue eyes holding me paralyzed. "I thought you were with Rin-san."

"I-I-I…"I couldn't do this anymore; I removed the dam and let the tears burst forth. They were streaming down my cheeks in thick rivulets. I could imagine how I looked right now, like some stress ridden _freak._ "The baby- _"_I hiccupped hard, "It's going to be b-born p-premature." I sobbed out feeling like my heart was going to tear into a million pieces.

I couldn't look at his face; I couldn't bear the sight of his disappointment and pain. "I-I'm so sorry." I cried out. "I tried to cope with it all but it just, it's just so _overwhelming._" My hands rose to tear at my hair in agitation.

"Hey." Naruto whispered softly. "Hey, look at me." He gently took my chin in his fingers and turned my face so I was staring at me straight on. My eyes flickered downwards but I couldn't escape his gaze. "You know how they always say life is so uncertain?" he questioned quietly.

"Yeah?" I mumbled through my tears. _How the hell was that going to help me?_ I wanted to shriek out. I knew that life was uncertain. I had just been told that my baby was going to be born premature and might not survive the early delivery. Hell yeah, life was uncertain.

"Well, there's one thing that I'm certain of, and that's that we're going to be good parents. We've gotten through so much worse. Dr. Rin is exceptional and she'll help us get through all of this." He used the pad of his thumb to brush away at my tear-stained cheeks.

Dr. Rin had reassured me of the same thing yet why did it feel so much truer when Naruto said it? I hiccupped again, "Promise?" I asked in a child-like tone.

He grinned and leaned down to kiss my forehead, "I promise." He reassured me. He held out his pinky for me and waggled it.

I let out a shaky laugh and extended my pinky, linking it around his in a firm symbol of promise. Naruto let out a breath and opened his palm, "We can do it." I nodded again, swallowing up his words and splayed my hand against his.

"Hina-"he started but then I was nearly thrown of my feet by a bright beam of light that emitted from our hands. A force was surging through me, lighting my body on fire, filling it with power. I stared in wonder at the red light that connected our hands together. The whole thing was so wondrous that I couldn't even think straight. I couldn't put two and two together to even start comprehend what was going on. And then just as suddenly as it started it was gone. The bright red light that had burned us was gone, leaving us staring breathlessly at one another.

Naruto panted out a question, "W-what the hell just happened?"

I was lost for words. I had touched his hand. A light emitted out of nowhere. It couldn't be. Had it-?

Noticing my silence, Naruto came over to me and shook my shoulders gently. "Hinata are you alright?" I glanced down at his hands placed on my shoulders and then I looked again, further down his arm. I sucked in a sharp breath as my eyes fell upon what I had been longing for over a century.

"N-Naruto." I croaked out. "Naruto, l-look at your wrist." I breathed out. "Look at it!" I grabbed his wrist and nearly shoved it in his face.

He looked down and only needed to see it once. He paled and his breathing stalled. "Hinata…this is…we...finally…" he couldn't form a coherent sentence and the tears began flowing down my cheeks again. But for an entirely different reason.

I lifted my own wrist and saw the shape plain and clear, even through the blurry curtain of my tears. There it was, identical to Naruto's linking us together, _finally._

I don't think I had ever been so happy to see the shape of a crescent moon.

* * *

><p>AN: hello there! ^^ short chapter I know but I hope that you liked that Naruto and Hinata get to end up together. That's the worst thing isn't it? Not being able to be with the person you love. *sob* I hope you guys enjoyed it and next chapter will be Sakura's rise to immortality woot woot!

P.S. any hunger games fans out there? Just finished the first book and my friends are letting me borrow the second and third. No spoilers! KAY? (andbtwi'mteampeeta) can't wait for the movie to come out…it looks awesome.

SEE YA SOON,

WRITER4EVERR


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27:The Final Hour

_47 hours have passed since transformation, less than 1 hour remaining_

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

"She didn't take it well." Doctor Rin commented off-handedly as she brushed Sakura's pink tendrils of hair with the greatest care. Her lips were pursed together, "But I couldn't keep it from her any longer."

My lip curled in distaste. Rin was referring to Hinata and I was still reeling from the fact that I had_ just_ been told about the uncertain future of her and Naruto's baby. I respected Rin but it angered me that she had waited this long to tell even the mother of the baby. Way to ruin the happy atmosphere from just hours earlier.

Ino chewed on her lip, "Ah, well how else was this supposed to go down? I'll talk to her later after Sakura awakes. I really want to talk to her now but we only have less than an hour left to go." She pulled out a bag of cosmetics and got to work, primping Sakura's face. Sakura's skin had grown a sickly white, which was common right before the transformation would be over. Her lips were a matching pale color and deep bags ran under her eyes.

The blonde witch pulled out a fluffy brush that was tinged with nude powder and began sweeping it across Sakura's skin, reviving the healthy color in her cheeks and erasing the dark bags. She then pulled out a shell containing rogue and swiping the pad of her index finger over the color, she applied it precisely onto Sakura's lips.

Rin admired her from a far, "My, she's a beauty isn't she, Sasuke-san?"

I swallowed hard, the color in her cheeks made me long even more for her awakening. "Yeah." I mumbled and turned my head to the side.

Itachi, who sat beside me, smirked. "Aw, he's blushing." He chuckled.

"Shut up." I growled. The brotherly love was fading quickly. Itachi merely held up his hands in surrender but still kept that stupid smirk plastered on his face. Now I knew why Ino and Naruto always complained about the Uchiha smirk.

I was about to retort back with a stupid comment but the doors burst in and in came Hinata and Naruto running full speed ahead. Well, Naruto was running full speed ahead while Hinata struggled to keep up with her swollen belly slowing her down. I frowned, until I noticed their expressions. Naruto was grinning from ear to ear and Hinata was positively beaming. She looked the happiest I had ever seen her, ever since she had found out she was pregnant. Wasn't she supposed to be depressed about her baby? What was with the beaming smiles?

Ino noticed this as well and greeted the two of them cheerily, "What's with the sudden positivity?" she chirped. The two of them were speechless and their lips moved as if they wanted to speak eagerly but the words wouldn't leave their throats. "What is it?" Ino urged them.

Hinata broke the silence with her trademark stutter, "I-I…we…" and then she burst into tears. Ino stood by shocked at her sudden outburst. Maybe she was sad after all?

Naruto swallowed hard and his voice crackled painfully, uttering out the words that I hadn't expected at all. "W-we bonded together." He lifted up his wrist slowly to show the clear outline of a crescent moon. The room went silent; nothing was heard except for Sakura's quiet breathing.

And then Ino let out a loud whoop of jubilance, "Hinata!" she exclaimed. "Naruto! Come here you too!" she scooped them up into her arms and squeezed them tightly. "Oh my gosh, it's taken 100 years to finally happen, but it happened!" she squealed with tears threatening to burst from her eyes. She sniffed and I could see how truly happy she was.

A lump formed in my throat and a smile spread over my lips. "Wow." I murmured, and embraced Hinata. "Congrats little sis." I teased her. She gave me a watery smile in response and squeezed my hand affectionately. I turned to Naruto and clapped his back; he was still too stunned to react to my congratulations.

"Uh, Naruto you okay?" I frowned at his paralyzed expression.

"Do you know what this means?" he whispered in awe. "Do you know what this means, now that we're bonded?" he repeated. "We can get married, without anybody saying anything." His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the crescent mark.

Itachi came forward, "My deepest congratulations to the both of you. But you should keep in mind, this doesn't change anything. I believe you two would've stayed together for eternity even if you hadn't bonded." He offered with a small smile.

Ino hugged Hinata again with a loud squeal, "Oh! I'm so excited! I'm so happy that this happened, you know if-HAAK!"

A loud, strangled gasp broke into Ino's rambling and instinctively, we all whipped around to see Sakura's body arching off the bed as she gasped for breath. The jubilant atmosphere was immediately replaced by a panicked and alert atmosphere.

Her pink locks whipped around the white sheets as her body was wracked with violent spasms. She kept gasping for breath and her hands were wrapped around the mattress so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She let out an ear-splitting shriek as her body twisted in pain.

Doctor Rin was at her side in a flash and she grabbed a syringe from the bedside and began barking orders, "It's starting! Ino, Hinata grab a syringe! Itachi shut the doors and seal them; we don't want anybody coming in during her transformation. Naruto, grab a washcloth! Sasuke, please do not cause any trouble." She gave me a reprimanding look, "You just need to sit tight and let me handle this."

I was about to protest and jump back up but a force pushed me down back into the sofa. I looked up to see Itachi smirk at me with his hand outstretched. "Follow orders for once, will you?"

Dr. Rin, Hinata and Ino held a syringe in one hand, "On my count, 1…2…3…" all three syringes were plunged into Sakura's chest with a sickening squish. Sakura's body fell back, limp, onto the bed and her body was still, her eyes shut tight. I struggled to get up but could only sit and listen to her heartbeat.

It was slow and weak at first but I could hear the heartbeat gradually quicken and grow stronger as if it was gaining strength. My lungs constricted, _please, open your eyes. _I begged. I prayed. I pleaded. My eyes were trained on Sakura looking for the slightest movement. Nobody moved, everybody looked to Sakura.

And then I saw it, a little twitch of her fingers. A little movement of her mouth as it parted to breathe the air. And slowly, her eyes fluttered open to reveal her bright jade eyes that blinked cautiously and curiously, as she caught sight of the world through immortal eyes.

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV-<p>

When I opened my eyes, I was terrified. Everything was so clear, so luminous that my first thought was that I had been consumed by the flames and was now in some afterlife. This couldn't be reality. I blinked several times trying to register what was in front of me. Splaying out my hands, I examined what I was lying on…silk sheets? Was I on some kind of bed?

"How are you liking immortality?" a voice rang loud inside my head and I whipped around, frightened by the amplified voice. I came face to face with a blonde woman with excited, cerulean eyes.

"Don't speak so loudly, she's still sensitive to her heightened senses." A warm voice warned. The voice wasn't as amplified in my mind and didn't nerve me as much. I turned in the direction of the more comforting voice and saw a brown haired lady, looking at me with tenderness.

My expression furrowed as I tried to remember who she was. She struck me as familiar but I couldn't quite place her. Her face was just so clear and vivid in my mind that it seemed so different to all my blurred memories.

"Am I dead?" I croaked out.

A loud chuckled rang out in my head and I winced at the sharp sound. I heard another sharp intake of breath. "She thinks she's dead?" a voice demanded. Recognition registered in my head and I turned to where that person spoke. My eyes fell upon a raven haired man with intense onyx eyes. It took a second to remember but I knew who he was.

"Sasuke." The name fell out of my mouth in a surprised tone. "Sasuke, you can't die. And I'm with you right now. So I'm not dead." I figured with difficulty. "Is that right?" I asked aloud.

The brown-haired woman came forward, "That's right. My name is Doctor Rin, do you recognize me?" she asked kindly. I nodded numbly. 'Course I did. "Good. Sakura, you're an immortal now, but it might take you a while to adjust to the transformation so take it easy. You might have trouble recognizing people, but things will get smoothed out in not time."

I frowned as another thought came to mind, "I'm hungry." I blurted out. "Is there anything to eat?"

Sasuke looked confused but then his face broke out into a small, weary grin. "Yeah, don't worry; I'll get you something to eat." He turned to leave but my arm shot out and I clutched his wrist.

I shook my head, "No. Don't leave." I insisted stubbornly. I didn't want him to walk away, he was the only face I could comprehend right now and I wasn't going to be left alone in a blur of faces. Sasuke's expression of surprise softened and he complied, sitting back down. That eased my mind and relief flooded in.

The blonde woman spoke up, "I'll grab something for her." She turned to leave and just as her blonde hair exited the room, her identity dawned on me. She was Ino. "Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise. How stupid I had been to not even recognize her! I glanced around the sea of faces and saw a blue-haired girl, a blonde-haired boy, and a black-haired man.

That vague, familiar feeling tugged at my mind but I felt strained just trying to remember their names. Sasuke saw me concentrating and he gently nudged me back onto the pillow. "Don't strain yourself. Right now you're disoriented."

I sat back up, stubbornly, "I'm, not disoriented." I protested. "I'm perfectly fine."

The black-haired man came forward and came into my vision. I almost mistook him for Sasuke. They looked so similar. "Sakura, my name is Itachi. Do you remember me?" he asked gently. Itachi? That sounded right. I nodded slowly. "Trust us, you need to rest. In the morning you'll feel back to your normal self. Sound good?"

"Yeah." I muttered distractedly. It was insanely difficult to concentrate with such vivid colors and details surrounding you. Every little sound was amplified and I noticed the teensiest movement.

Dr. Rin moved by my side and I noticed her pulling out a syringe. Itachi spoke again, diverting my attention from her, "And another thing, Sakura. Welcome to the family." Oh yeah, I was immortal now. I could live forever with Sasuke and Ino and all of the people I had met. The pleasant thought lulled me into comfort. He squeezed my hand warmly and I opened my mouth to respond to him but a wave of fatigue ran over me.

I guess I was tired…my eyes struggled to keep open as my hand groped around, trying to find Sasuke's arm. A warm pressure enveloped my hand and I smiled, knowing that it was Sasuke. "Just stay, will you?" I asked drowsily.

I heard a faint chuckle, "I waited for 2 torturous days, I guess I can wait another 8 hours for you." He teased.

With that reassurance, I swiftly fell under sleep's sweet spell.

* * *

><p>AN: I hate putting out short chapters. I feel like you guys deserve MUCH longer chapters, but here we go! At least I'm updating faster HAHA :) thank you so much for allowing me to pass the 750 mark and now I have 770+ reviews! I cannot say thank you enough and I really appreciate all the love. Next chapter we will have Sakura exploring her newfound supernatural abilities so that'll be fun! Uhm…what else did I want to say? Crap. I forget. Oh wait!

After this story ends (which it will, sadly) at around 35 chapters, at the most. I was going to create a spin-off one-shot collection that will consist of stories that revolve before and after Sakura's coming to the supernatural world. This will be Naruto and Hinata's background story, Itachi's story with the mortal, childhood fun with Sasuke, Ino, Tenten, and Kuma and MUCH MUCH MORE.

Tell me what you think about this idea in your reviews! Love y'all :)

MUCH GRATITUDE,

WRITER4EVERR


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Alive

SAKURA POV-

I woke up alone. _Way to keep your promise, Sasuke._ I thought with a little irritation but really, I didn't mind. I knew, just from looking outside that I had out for way longer than 8 hours, judging by the sunlight I was asleep for at least more than 14 hours. He had probably just left for a snack. What should I do now? Wait around for him to come back? I looked around the room, my mind abuzz with ideas. It was strange; my mind could now operate so much faster, concentrate on multiple things in a second. It was exhilarating being opened up to so many possibilities and I was hungry to see what I was capable of now.

"You're awake." Sasuke's voice came from nowhere and I turned to my side to see him there with a smug look on his face. He was smiling brilliantly but it couldn't hide the fact how haggard he looked. Dark bags hung under his eyes and his hair was mussed. Guilt filled me as I realized that he must have stayed up this entire time waiting for me.

"You left me." I blurted out accusingly with a smirk. "Shouldn't make promises you can't keep." I teased him playfully.

He didn't answer and only moved forward to sweep me up in a bone-crushing hug. I let out a laugh and embraced him tightly. "I told you you'd make it out alive." He whispered in my ear and I could just see him smirking over my shoulder.

I burrowed my face in his shoulder, tears threatening to fall; I don't think I had ever been so overcome with emotions. "Yeah, I'm alive." I whispered not quite believing it myself. I was alive and I was going to be alive forever with Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, Ino, and Tenten…

He pulled back and gave me a quick kiss on my nose. "How do you feel?" he asked breathlessly.

"I feel strange." I answered honestly. "Physically, I'm excellent but my mind, it's just going on overdrive right now." I frowned, "Will I ever get used to it?"

Sasuke chuckled, "I'll be there to help you. Speaking of which, it's time to start your Supernatural 101 lessons with me as your teacher." He tried to put on a stern laugh but his face broke into another grin. I noticed he couldn't stop smiling and likewise, I grinned like a fool, _life was good._

My eyes swept over him and I was startled to see something I had never seen as a mortal. The air was literally humming around him in a flurry of some kind of energy, radiating off his body. My eyes crossed in confusion and he noticed this with a smile.

"It's my chakra. Everybody's chakra is visible if you're an immortal. You'll get used to it." He reassured me. "Are you ready to do some training?" He held out his hand, expectantly.

I was hesitant seeing his current condition. "What about you? You look exhausted and we don't have to train now." I fretted. I didn't want him to collapse all of a sudden or faint randomly.

He rolled his eyes, "Are you chicken? C'mon!" he urged me pulling at my wrist. I opened my mouth to protest but then he grabbed me and slipped out of the open window. Wind whipped through my hair and our surroundings were a blur until Sasuke came to an abrupt stop and suddenly we were in the midst of a peaceful garden with trees with thick shady leaves and a waterfall was 20 meters away, partly hidden by the fruit trees that clustered around its edge.

"Where are we?" I asked in amazement. "Another garden of yours?" Curiosity got the better of me and I started wandering around.

Sasuke shook his head, "It's actually a training ground in the palace." He answered simply and started walking off towards the waterfall. I reluctantly stopped my exploring to follow his lead. I padded barefoot through the grassy landscape and when we came to the edge of the waterfall I dipped my foot in cautiously, it was bathwater warm.

"We usually use this area for newborn gods to test out their powers and such. It's a great place to test out powers because everything here regenerates quickly." He explained and I nodded. "Let's see if your supernatural powers still exist." He gestured towards the waterfall.

My mouth fell open, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Bubble-bending in front of the all-powerful master of water himself? If that wasn't pressure, I don't know what is. "O-okay, then…" I moved towards the water nervously and summoning all my mental strength I focused on the calm water. _C'mon, move…_ But who was I kidding? The water barely moved, a little ripple effect came over the smooth surface and then it was calm again.

I let out a little huff, "Well that was exciting." I commented sarcastically. I glanced back at Sasuke.

His eyes were narrowed in concentration. "Try again." He instructed. "This time, don't tense up so much. This is water so you need to feel like you're 'going with the flow' so to speak."

I shrugged and turned my attention back to the water. "Yes sir." I mumbled under my breath. "Here we go." I mustered up my wits and tried to ease into a rhythm, breathing in and out evenly. _Go with the flow, Sakura._ My fingers began to tingle with energy and I stretched my fingertips out towards the water. Slowly, I saw the water began to shift and churn and slowly a little globe of water formed under my fingers, rising in the air to rest on my palm very gently.

In my excitement I turned around, "Sasuke! Look-oh…" in my break of concentration the bubble had burst, the water returning to the waterfall. Sasuke let out a loud laugh as he saw my disappointed look. "What are you laughing about?" I grumbled. "At least I made some progress."

"You made a bubble, Sakura. I can create Tsunami waves." He reminded me with a smirk. "You have a long way to go if you're going to be the bride to the water god."

I groaned and sprawled down on the river bank. "Revoke my title!" I moaned. "Tell them I can't be the bride to such a demanding monster!" I peeked up to see, with immense satisfaction, a frown upon his face.

"A taco or a demanding monster…I can't decide which is my favorite pet name." he shook his head. "Are you seriously going to just lie there?" he demanded.

I got up reluctantly and flounced over gracefully. It was amazing how much more fluid in movement I was as an immortal. "What are we learning first, O great teacher?" I leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips, almost melding into his touch-until he abruptly pulled away. "What?" I complained. "I've been under for 2 days, don't I get at least another kiss?" I pouted childishly.

Sasuke shook his head with a teasing grin, "There'll be none of that until you learn more than how to make a bubble." He spun me around by the shoulders so I was facing the waterfall again. He was such a killjoy.

"Oh fun, motivation."

And with that the lessons began. We had been at it for a couple of hours and so far, I could now create a water whip on cue, freeze water (when that would come in handy, I didn't know), and create a shield that made anything pass through it, turn into water. All in a day's work, I was physically and mentally exhausted.

Sasuke sat me down on the grass and placed a hand on my forehead, heat radiating off his skin. "How do you feel?" he questioned me. I felt his chakra flow out of his hand and into my forehead, spreading over my body in a warm heat, rejuvenating my stamina.

I gave him a grateful smile, "Okay, now, I guess. I think I'll have to build up my strength though, if I'm going to be able to be on par with you."

He snorted, "That's going to take a century at the least." He teased and let go of my forehead.

"Oh, shush." I reprimanded him and stopped suddenly, seeing a glint of gold in the air, descending down. What was that? Sasuke noticed my pause and turned to what I was looking at and grimaced.

"That was fast." He commented dryly and I frowned. What did that mean? The glint of gold came closer and closer until the glint of gold turned into wings and now I could make out the form of a small child with golden wings, flying towards us.

"What is that?" I breathed out in amazement. The child was probably the most beautiful thing I had ever seen with golden curls glowing luminously in the air. Her hazel eyes had flecks of gold and they warmed happily as she caught sight of me. She descended down upon the ground, her bare feet landing gracefully on the grass. The girl curtsied, lifting up her blue chiffon robes.

"Aisatsu, mizu no kami, kōei hanayome!" she greeted warmly. "It is such a pleasure to finally meet you O honored Miss Sakura Haruno! I have news from the palace."

Sasuke gave a small bow. "It's nice to see you again Chiri. I see you're doing well, I give my apologies-about your sister." His eyes flickered down with-was that shame?

The small child gave a tight-lipped smile, "My sister had it coming, consorting in the dark art of shifting. She didn't know how to properly use her rare talent." She turned to me with a small smile. "I believe you've had the pleasure of meeting my lovely sister, Momo."

My mouth dropped open, Momo? The shifter girl that had attempted to kill Sasuke and me? No wonder Sasuke looked so uncomfortable; killing Momo must've put the two of them in an awkward position. "O-oh yes." I stammered.

Chiri shrugged, "Do not feel so uneasy, Miss. My sister and I have not spoken in over 5 centuries." I nearly choked on my spit, 500 years? "Anyways, on to more pleasant business, I have a formal summoning from her highness, Queen Tsunade."

She pulled out a scroll and she threw it in the air. The paper unfurled itself and I heard Lady Tsunade's voice emanating from the paper.

"Greetings to the God of Water and the newly-turned, Miss Sakura Haruno! I give my warmest congratulations and hereby decree your title throughout the Supernatural Land from this moment be, _Mizu no Megami_, goddess of water. We summon Sasuke Uchiha and his bride to the palace for a formal greeting and initiation ceremony on the next morning. To accompany you should be Itachi Uchiha, God of Discipline, Mikoto Uchiha, goddess of death. Fugaku Uchiha will be present as well. Thank you."

The message ended and the paper immediately burst into angry flames. My throat swelled as I was reminded of the burning rage during my transformation. Chiri turned back to us, "I am to escort you to the palace tonight. If you could make the arrangements, we'll head out when you like Sasuke-san."

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Very well, please leave my bride and I. I have something to speak to her about." Chiri nodded and she disappeared in a light glow.

"Initiation ceremony?" I echoed in surprise. "Why do I not remember you talking about this?"

"Because I didn't." he stated flatly. "But it'll be fine." He rubbed my arm soothingly but my nerves were on edge again. "Is it some battle with an ogre? An endurance test? How many rolls of bread I can stick in my mouth? What if it's a food eating cont-"

"No! No! No!" Sasuke interrupted with a huge grin on his face. "It's nothing like that. Or at least, I hope it's nothing like that. I don't think I want to see your cheeks bloated with bread rolls." He made a mock face of horror.

I punched him in the arm. "I'm serious Sasuke!" And then another fear struck me! I let out a terrified squeak, "Sasuke! Your dad! What if he doesn't like me?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Who does he like?" I glared at him again and he put his hand up in surrender. "Alright, alright! Trust me, Sakura. You endured two straight days of being burnt to a crisp, you endured a battle with a shifter, you endured being bonded to the most stuck-up jerk, what can't you do now?" he demanded.

Okay. That made me feel a teensy bit better. "You're right? If I lasted through the stuck-up jerk, nothing can hurt me now!" I exclaimed over-dramatically. Sasuke let out a chuckle and kissed me sweetly.

He withdrew but I noticed that a dark shadow came over his eyes. I prodded at his cheek playfully, "What's wrong? Do I have bad breath?" I exhaled on my hand and sniffed it cautiously. Smelled alright to me…

Sasuke gave a small smile, "No, your breath is fine." He reassured me. "I just remembered the end of the message." He lapsed into silence again and he seemed to be mulling over something.

What had been the last part? _Fugaku Uchiha will be present as well._ Oh. Father and son reunion, something I knew that Sasuke was NOT looking forward to. Hopefully, Itachi and Sasuke and managed to work something out. I let out a little sigh and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and squeezed his hand affectionately. "Remember, Sasuke. If you can survive being bonded to a pink-haired psycho, you can handle your father." I grinned and he gave a small smile in return.

He leaned forward to brush my ear with his lips, "I'm not so sure about that. I can handle Sakura Haruno, not a pink-haired psycho." He whispered.

"And besides, the only difference between a pink-haired psycho and my father is that one has pink hair and one doesn't."

* * *

><p>AN: The title is kind of an allusion to my favorite group's new album ALIVE by BIGBANG and I'm addicted to their new song BLUE! It is amazing, I highly recommend that you check it out! Tell me if you've heard it yet.

I felt compelled to bring back all the imperial palace members such as Shizune, Kakashi, and Yamato. And of course Jiraiya and Tsunade, 'cause I mean I brought them in for the banquet and then you guys never heard from them again, what is that? So they'll be making a reappearance, hope you're excited for that! Then we'll have some more Uchiha family drama and we'll have some baby drama and yeah, a lot to be anticipating.

Thank you for all the reviews, 800+ reviews! WOOT WOOT! SERIOUSLY, LOVE ALL OF Y'ALL.

KISSES,

WRITER4EVERR


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Come Back Down

SASUKE POV

Sakura angrily slammed down a pile of kimonos and Hinata rushed forward to neatly re-fold them. "I can't believe it! I was out for two days-how did I miss your bonding?" she fumed, stomping around the closet.

I sighed for the billionth time, watching her rage around the room. "Please, calm down. You didn't miss much." I repeated firmly and tried to keep my voice calm. Sakura had been ranting for half an hour straight now. After finding out what she had missed she was furious, mostly at herself for choosing such a bad time to ingest the elixir. She didn't have much time to stay around though as we were now packing for our trip to the palace and Hinata had kindly offered to help.

She whipped around, "I missed Naruto and Hinata's moment! And apparently you and Itachi are now chummy buddies! If that's not a lot I don't know what is." She groaned and threw a pair of sandals in her bag.

Hinata smiled as she continued folding the silk cloths. "Sakura-chan, you don't have time to worry about that. Aren't you more excited to be going to the palace?" she asked politely, trying to convert Sakura's anger to excitement. Somehow I didn't think that was going to work.

"I guess…" Sakura mumbled. "It's just more stress though. Now I have to worry about presenting myself."

I frowned, "Why are you worrying about that? You managed to make Hidan unconscious last time the Empress and Emperor visited. You're practically a hero in their eyes." I scoffed at her unnecessary worry.

Hinata nodded eagerly, "Just be your normal, charming self."

I snorted, "Charming? That's not a word I hear associated with Sakura." I let out a laugh as she tried to send a bubble barreling in my direction, which I easily deflected with a flick of my wrist.

Chiri's voice rang outside of the bedroom door. "Are you two quite finished? It's getting late and we'd best get out before the shifters start roaming around." She warned.

"We'll be right out there!" I called back with slight irritation. I was still dreading having to meeting my father. The last time I had seen him had been a decade or so ago. The reunion had been forced by my mother who had cheerily chattered when I refused to speak at all to him. Fugaku Itachi, my father, was a complex man. The earliest memory I had of him was of him actually smiling and laughing. That was over a century ago. He was laughing good-naturedly at one of my attempts at calligraphy when I was still a little boy. I remember how he held my hand as he guided the strokes of the brush.

"Don't bother with this," he chuckled to himself. "People only use fancy handwriting when they try to lessen the pain of a letter bearing ominous news." I practiced calligraphy constantly when I was a kid and even gave a frame of his name in calligraphy as a birthday present once. I doubt he still kept it. I haven't touched a brush in over fifty years.

"Sasuke!" Sakura's bright voice broke into my memory. "Ready to go?" she slung the bag over her shoulder and motioned towards the door. I nodded hastily and grabbed me own bag to head out the door.

Sakura gave a quick hug to Hinata and a light peck on the cheek. "See you later Hinata-chan! Don't you dare pop out that baby while I'm gone." She warned. "Tell Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino I said goodbye. Sheesh, where are they?" she grumbled.

Hinata shrugged, "Naruto wanted some help with the baby room." Her cheeks tinged a bright pink as she said this and I smirked. Sakura let out a delighted laugh at this and she patted Hinata's belly lightly.

"Do you still have any idea what you're going to name it?" Sakura questioned curiously.

Hinata shook her head, "No idea. I want to see the baby first and then decide the name. Otherwise, the name won't be perfect." A dreamy look came over Hinata and she snapped out of it, embarrassed. "Ah, but I'm rambling on. Go on to the palace!" she pushed the two of us out the door and waved goodbye as we headed down the stairs.

Sakura practically bounded down the stairs with her newfound speed and I had to actually quicken my pace for her. I felt like a grandpa trying to keep up with an energy-filled toddler. "C'mon Sasuke!" she called out impatiently.

Chiri flew past me and out the double doors of the main entrance, her golden wings illuminating the way. Outside the door in the main entrance garden were two cream colored carriages with majestic white steeds tied to each carriage. Sakura let out a breathless sigh as she viewed the horses in front of her.

Chiri smiled at her child-like reaction. Itachi-san and Mikoto-san have already been seated in the first carriage. Sakura-san and you can take the second one. The door opens easily."

Sakura pulled at my sleeve eagerly and opened the carriage door to reveal a spacious room of similarly colored seats and curtains. Immediately as we sat down, the carriage lurched forward to suddenly bound upwards and float through the air, whooshing off into the east.

Watching Sakura was humorous as she reminded me of one of those little kids in a candy shop, amazed by everything that they see. She sat close to the window peering out of it with curiosity. And then she turned to me and I could tell by her expression that she was going to ask me a question that I wasn't going to like answering.

"Sasuke," she began hesitantly. "What's the deal between you and your father?" she asked hesitantly.

I swallowed, "I already told you. The whole dispute between Itachi, me and my father was a bunch of stupidity."

Sakura narrowed her eyes but decided not to push it. She simply let out an unsatisfactory, "Oh…"

I sighed and reluctantly went on. "Long story short, my dad expected a lot out of me and I was never up to his challenges. Itachi was there a lot for me in the beginning but all three of us just sort of drifted away. With my father doing a ton of palace work and me having my own domain to look after, we just never reconnected."

"Do you want to reconnect with him?"

I thought about that for a second. The 'No' was on the tip of my tongue but then I remembered how good it felt to talk to Itachi after all those years. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and I was back to the easy life back when I was a kid growing up at my father's palace.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I realized.

Sakura leaned back with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "I'm glad to hear that." She mused. "You're lucky now that you have your older brother back into your life. The bond between siblings is powerful." Her eyes grew distant and I knew what she was thinking of.

"Are you having regrets?" I asked her bluntly.

That snapped her out of her reverie. "What? No!" she insisted, her voice raising an octave. "I knew what I was giving up to be an immortal. I know that I can't go back with Sayuri, I wasn't even thinking about that!" Her eyes grew wide and defensive.

Guilt filled me as I heard her lies. She did miss her sister and know that she was immortal she was realizing how much that she actually lost. She lost what had been the sole purpose of her life when she was a human-her sister. Perhaps, I could find some way so that she could at least speak with her sister.

Sakura moved towards the window to avoid my gaze and stared out the window quietly. Minutes passed and Sakura let out a gasp as the palace came into view.

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV<p>

As soon as the palace came into view, all thoughts flew out the window. The palace was stunning. That was simply the only word I could find to describe it. Simply stunning. It reminded me of European architecture with large cream columns supporting a grand building. There were large cream double doors embroidered with golden lining. Arched windows with lacy curtains gave a peek of the interior of the palace. I could see a grand piano in one room. A dining set in another room. In another room I caught a glimpse of marble statues. Sasuke looked out of the carriage's window with an air of nonchalance.

"Huh. They decided to go with this version." He commented simply and withdrew from the window.

"This version?" I echoed.

"Yeah, the palace can morph." He stated as if it was the most natural occurrence. I took his explanation with a shrug and tried to relax. A morphing palace was the least of my problems.

The carriage landed smoothly on the stone-paved ground, yet my stomach roiled uneasily. I heard Chiri's sweet voice chime happily from the outside. "We're here!" she sang out. The carriage doors automatically swung open and Sasuke stepped down first, staring at the castle bemusedly. He extended a hand towards me and I took it gratefully, hopping down with some semblance of grace.

I gulped hard. The palace was even more intimidating standing on the ground. I squared my shoulders and exhaled out. I needed to stop being such a baby and put on a confident smile, even if it was a façade.

Chiri floated off of the white horses and let out a high-pitched whistle that stung at my eardrums. At her command, three servants came flouncing out of the palace gateway with broad smiles on their faces. As they came closer I noticed something strange about them immediately. They all had animal features on their seemingly normal human bodies as if they were hybrids of some sorts. The first servant had furry orange cat ears poking out of her fiery red curls. I also saw that her fingernails were grown out long and curved out into claw-like nails. The second servant had canine-line fangs curving over his pale lips and his nose twitched every so often as if he was irritated by our scents filling the air. The third servant's animal origins were hard to distinguish but her skin was as pale as snow and dark bags highlighted her bright eyes. She had a stocky physique with muscles clearly defined under her kimono. She could be a panda on steroids. But that didn't seem very likely.

"Welcome!" they chimed together in a synchronized bow. I returned the deep bow and smiled anxiously.

"Welcome to the Spring Palace." The cat-girl gestured towards the palace. "The palace takes four forms, Fall Palace, Spring Palace, Winter Palace and Summer Palace. It is able to morph with the constant flow of chakra throughout the palace's energy gateways." She explained with clarity.

The dog-man nodded eagerly and I was instantly reminded of a dog wagging his tail with excitement. "Yes, yes!" he shouted earnestly. "The palace is a grand landmark in our world! We must show you more!"

Sasuke interrupted with a tired look on his face, "Look Chiri, I appreciate the tour group but I can just show Sakura around myself-"

"Nonsense!" The pale lady cried. "We'll show you around Sasuke-san! It's no problem at all!"

"Oi, you three. I can take over from here." A low voice came from behind Sasuke and me. The three servants faltered with slight disappointment but they shuffled away obediently. I whirled around to see a familiar face. It was the mysterious man with silver, gravity-defying hair. I remembered him from the banquet as being part of the Royal Entourage. The lower part of his face was concealed with a big knit scarf that hung over his thick kimono.

Sasuke's expression warmed, "Kakashi, it's nice to see you again. I see you're still an avid reader." His tone came off sarcastic as he motioned towards a bright orange book tucked into the folds of his kimono.

Kakashi smirked, "What can I say? I'm the intellectual type." Sasuke grinned while Kakashi chuckled and I merely frowned in confusion. Was there a joke that I was missing here? I shifted my weight to the other foot, leaning slightly forward to get a better look at the book. I caught a small glimpse of the title-_Icha-_

The silver-haired man shoved the book back further into the pocket away from my view. "Sakura-san, welcome to the immortality club, where your membership never expires!" he gave a sly smile at his joke and examined me.

"How do you feel about the initiation ceremony? Let's hope they've modified it a bit. The last ceremony was a bit bloody-"I paled at his words, the blood draining from my face.

Sasuke glared at Kakashi and reached for my shoulder affectionately. "Kakashi," he growled in annoyance. "She was already hyperventilating to begin with!"

Kakashi smiled sheepishly, "Oh don't take me seriously, Sakura! To be honest, the initiation ceremony is always different so I wouldn't even know. Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama always choose the initiation which best fits the person."

I gulped again, that was not more reassuring at all.

"But enough worrying!" Kakashi smiled charmingly behind his mask, "Well what are we waiting for?" he made a gesture to the door, "Let's venture inside the core of the supernatural world. Ladies first!"

* * *

><p>AN: AYYY what is up with me? A month long break? UNFORGIVEABLE. I apologize for the long wait and then coming out with this lackluster chapter. Aiisssshhh, please forgive me. Next chapter will be infinitely more interesting. We get into the knacks of the palace, yayyy funn time :)

REVIEW PULEASE, it makes my day!

WRITER4EVERR

P.S. anybody watch vampire diaries here? My new addiction (stelenalltheway!) AND I watched the hunger games movie! I got to say josh hutcherson was perfect as peeta! I felt bad but was I the only person cracking up when they showed gale during peetaxkatniss's kiss? LOL. Sorry Gale.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Blood is Thicker

SAKURA POV

"I'm in charge of a lot of things here." Kakashi stated this simply, not in a bragging tone. "Yamato, Shizune, you remember them, don't you?" He led us down another opulently-carpeted hallway.

I nodded. My memory sharpened as I recalled a benign brown-haired man and a woman with a black pixie cut. "You were bonded to Shizune, I remember that too." I added.

He chuckled, "Ah yes, the love of my life." He rolled his eyes but his expression softened. "Anyways, the three of us are the caretakers of the palace. We make sure everything runs smoothly and we attend to the empress and emperor directly. It's quite a tiresome job." He smiled wearily.

Sasuke snorted, "When you're actually working. Poor Shizune and Yamato always have to pick up after you. When you're off reading those books of yours." A light smirk came upon Sasuke's lips.

Kakashi feigned a hurt look, "Now, now! Is that how you speak to your old teacher?" he chastised him and then a malicious grin spread over his lips. "I know all your tricks, after all, I taught them to you. All your weaknesses are permanently logged into my mind." He tapped the side of his head, tauntingly.

"I didn't know you taught him, do share all of Sasuke's weaknesses." I laughed as Sasuke's face darkened.

The gray-haired man nodded, "Of course I taught him! Lightning has its advantages against water. You see, often when a god is born, their mentor will often be assigned according to whatever their power is. His father chose me in order to challenge his son. Lightning will almost always triumph over water. In some special circumstances, they can cooperate together." He added mysteriously, shooting a wink to Sasuke.

"Speaking of the good old man, I was speaking to him earlier. He's anxious to see you."

I heard Sasuke's teeth grind together. "Oh is he?" he questioned dryly. "Perhaps he's nervous about criticizing me at every angle he can. He hasn't done it in a while, you see, he hasn't had practice." Sasuke spat angrily. Color rose in his cheeks and his pace slowed as his expression grew darker.

Kakashi eased back and turned a corner. I followed right behind him but Sasuke stopped. "Sasuke?" my voice rose in a worried tone and Kakashi merely continued down the hallway in a slow walk.

I turned around to walk back to Sasuke and squeezed his shoulders gently. "Sasuke, hey do you want to sit down?" his hands were ice cold and I tried to warm them.

He pulled away and cleared his throat. "Listen, let Kakashi show you around. I-I need to clear my head and talk with my family." He muttered distractedly and gave me a short kiss on the cheek. "I'll be with you shortly." He turned away, striding down the hallway.

A lump rose in my throat. The tension between Sasuke and his father was worse than I thought. And here I was just standing here watching him walk away. I moved forward to at least catch up to him but a strong hand caught my shoulder with a firm grasp.

"Really, he's just pouting. Let him simmer down." Kakashi's easy voice came. "Come on." He twirled me around and took my arm amiably. "Shall we? Besides now that Sasuke's gone we have time to spill all his secrets, right?"

"But-"

"He'll be fine." The man insisted. "I spent over a decade with that boy honing his skills. I ought to know when he's pouting and when he needs somebody. Trust me; he just needs to cool down."

My curiosity spiked. "What was he like when he was a child? I bet he was a sullen little kid."

"Actually he wasn't." Kakashi grinned. "It would seem that way, but he was the total opposite. He was a sweet little boy, eager to please and always smiled."

I choked a little bit, "He always smiled?" I repeated with surprise. The thought was unthinkable. Sasuke smiled rarely. I had seen a genuine smile from him maybe three times in total. He grinned mischievously, he smirked, he had half-smiles but he never just went around with a smile. I tried to picture Sasuke going around like Naruto and smiling like an idiot. Yeah, that would be scary.

"I remember first meeting him; Sasuke's father wanted me to challenge him, to train him to an inch of his life. So I came up to the woods where we designated as a meeting place, I put on a stern face smeared red paint all over my face to resemble blood and I snarled in greeting." He laughed gleefully.

I frowned at him, "Wasn't Sasuke like 10 at that time? How could you scare him like that?" I demanded. Poor happy-Sasuke being frightened by a blood-smeared man that was supposed to mentor him.

"He was five. But that's hardly an issue. The thing that got me was when I marched up to him. He was a scrawny kid with the biggest doe eyes. I could have mistaken him for a girl. He looked up at me and started to tug on my kimono like he wanted to say something. I was taken aback at how unfazed he was so I knelt down at eye-level and he pulls up his sleeve so that it covers his hand and he starts to wipe at my face." Kakashi smiled in reminiscence. "He kept wiping until he realized that it wasn't blood. His eyes got really big and he dipped his fingertip on the paint on my cheek. He said to me with all seriousness. 'Do you want to paint? I can use your face as the canvas if you like.'." Kakashi let out a loud snicker.

I started to laugh along with him as I imagined little-Sasuke being so innocent and not realizing Kakashi's attempt to intimidate him. "And then what happened?" I pressed.

"After that, I realized what kind of boy he really was. He didn't need me to be all stern and tough. He was already training himself to death. At age 5 no less! Sasuke worked so hard to be praised by his dad and would spend nights out in the woods honing his chakra skills. Sometimes he would just break down during a training session out of frustration. I tried to talk to his father about it but Fugaku-san is one of the most difficult men to ever deal with."

"Fugaku-san, eh?" I started quietly. "Do you think he'll like me? Ever since I heard his name I've been hearing of nothing but stories about his bad temper and attitude. How is he really?" I chewed on my lip nervously.

"You needn't worry about him. Fugaku-san was worst in the past. You see, he's very passionate about traditional morals and upholding the name of Uchiha. He expects his sons to be just as great as their predecessors. He expects so much of them and sometimes smothers them. The problem with Fugaku is that he can only see things from his perspective. If somebody tries to tell him elsewise he sees it as an attack. However after Sasuke and Itachi grew distant from him, he realized that he wasn't helping anything. But then there was his pride and he refused to apologize. He knows he's in the wrong but he can't bring himself to admit it. All Uchihas' are like that if you ask me." Kakashi added with a smirk.

I rubbed my sweaty palms together. "If Fugaku is passionate about traditions he won't like a formal mortal like me I suppose."

"Now who said that?" a low timbre voice came. The blood drained out of my face and my lungs started to close. The voice was new but I had some inkling of who it was. I turned around mechanically and found my throat going dry as my dread was confirmed.

He was a tall, formidable man with dark lines going under his eyes. He had the same onyx eyes, but they were hardened instead of the warm soft onyx eyes I was so used to. His raven-black hair framed his rough face and was partly held back by a cord. He could only be- "F-Fugaku-san," I blurted out with recognition. I did a hasty curtsy, my trembling hands clutching at my skirts.

His head cocked to the side and he glared. My heart skipped a beat until I realized who his glare was directed at. "Kakashi, I didn't realize you were such an adept psychologist. Thank you for giving my personality report to Miss Sakura." His tone was dry and sarcastic.

I swallowed hard as I spoke up. "My apologies." My voice wavered just a teensy bit. "I asked Kakashi to tell me about you. I realize I should have spoken to you, but as we just met I felt I should gain some kind of background information."

"See?" Kakashi protested. "I'm just being a helpful guide to Sasuke's bride." Fugaku's steel gaze rose to meet mine. Another lump rose in my throat. _Oh god. Where was Sasuke when I needed him?_

"Speaking of that boy, where is he?" his tone was smooth but his eyes were a conflicting mess. I tried to read the emotions in his eyes but Fugaku had already smoothed over his expression by the time I was supposed to answer his question.

Kakashi jumped in for me. "He went off looking for Mikoto and Itachi. He wasn't too pleased about having a family reunion." Kakashi replied contritely.

A thoughtful expression came over his face. "I see." He shrugged. "Shizune's expecting you. I can take Sakura to meet Tsunade."

I tried sending a telepathic message to Kakashi. Why the hell couldn't he be the god of mind-reading? _Don't' leave me._ I silently begged. Kakashi stared at me for a whole 5 seconds before finally conceding. "All right." He let out a groan. "When is Shizune not expecting me, seriously?" he grumbled. "Well it was nice seeing you again, Sakura-san. Good luck on your initiation ceremony!" he called before whirling away in a cloud of leaves and dust.

Fugaku looked disdainfully at the pile of leaves and dirt that Kakashi left. "I keep telling him not to do that in the palace." He muttered. "Well, let's go." He extended his hand but I didn't take it. I had to know.

"Do you see me as a silly girl or somebody that could actually take the Uchiha name?" I blurted out, before silently wishing I hadn't now that it was out in the air. I took in a gulp of air before continuing. "Because I need to know this before continuing on for the initiation ceremony. This ceremony is just another step to becoming forever immortal with your son. I don't want to be stuck with this life knowing forever that you might see as some kind of nuisance that you wish would go away."

Fugaku was silent and then an amused look came upon his face. "I just met you, you keep asking trivial questions like that and you won't have to worry about just me getting the impression that you're a silly girl." He retorted coolly.

I blinked. What he had said actually made sense. I replayed in my mind what I had just said. That hadn't made sense. Of course I had to wait for him to like me. That's how it was for everybody you had to get to know somebody! I had been too caught up in the stories of Fugaku that I had forgotten the basic rules of introduction and first impressions. Way. To. Go. I flushed bright red. The only way out of this was to speak candidly. "I apologize. It's just the nerves have been getting to me. I forgot that it takes time for anybody to warm up to anybody. Not just between you and me. Could we start over again?" I extended my hand sheepishly.

Fugaku glanced at my hand shortly and shook it. "Be good not to mess up proper etiquette. I realize you have nerves, you best toughen them up if you're to take up the Uchiha name." he advised with a calculating look. He squinted as he stared at my pink hair. "Gods, is that natural?" he demanded.

"Of course-er yes, it is Fugaku-san." I answered. "My younger sister has the same hair color. It skips generations. My mother didn't have it but my grandmother did."

"That's a reassurance." He grumbled. "I don't think it would do my eyesight good to have a bunch of grandkids toddling around with that blinding hair color." He took a strand of my hair and examined it. "Reminds me of that girl Karin's hair, you wouldn't happen to share the same personality would you?" a faint smirk came on his face and I was instantly reminded of Sasuke.

"Definitely not." I answered flatly. His eyebrow rose at my tone. I merely shrugged. "Karin and I have a mutual hatred for each other."

"That's it." Fugaku muttered with a gleeful smile now. I was shocked at the smile that now pervaded his usual stoic expression. "You're perfect. Anybody who hates Karin is perfect. I told Mikoto she was going crazy when she suggested her as Sasuke's fiancée." He cleared his throat and his stoic expression returned.

"Anyways, we should get going. Grab a hold of my hand and we'll teleport." He extended it out again and I took it confidently this time. A sharp sucking sensation came over me as the floor opened up to swallow us whole. When my eyes opened once more, we were in a cherry blossom garden of some sorts. I heard the faint rush of water gliding over rocks and I heard the soft chirping of birds perched upon the branches.

God, did everybody like to teleport to mysterious gardens or something? I stepped forward cautiously and then realized with shock that Fugaku was no longer by my side. I whipped around hoping to see him there but the only thing that stood there was a patch of yellow tulips stained with some kind of red paint? I cautiously walked over and wiped the red liquid. I stuck out my tongue and lapped at the liquid quickly. I stumbled backwards as I recognized the metallic taste.

Blood.

In fact, now that I observed my surroundings closer I saw that everything was all stained in blood. The dirt below the green grass was drenched in it. The sap that came off of the branches was blood, the droplets of dew off of the flowers was blood. And then the small babbling brook, the water I had thought I was hearing rushing down the rocks was stained a deep, crimson red. It was all blood.

I tried to let out a scream of horror but the sound stuck in my throat. Oh my god, where had Fugaku left me?

"Sakura, welcome to the Crimson Garden." A firm tone greeted. I turned around again, this time to face the Empress, Tsunade in all her royal glory. Her blonde hair was in a long fishtail braid with a red ribbon intertwined in her golden locks. She had on an outrageously long crimson kimono that mirrored the color of the blood. The strangest thing was that she held a golden cage with a scarlet ibis perched gracefully in its confines. "Are you ready to begin the initiation ceremony?"

My stomach pitted. "Now?" I croaked out. "What about waiting for Sasuke, Mikoto or Itachi?" I questioned nervously.

Tsunade's expression grew stern and she drew out a key, inserting it into the lock on the cage. "The initiation ceremony is a solo act. And don't worry I'll be there to guide you during the ceremony, well this is more of a test actually, I would say." She continued while finally twisting the lock open.

The cage door swung open and the scarlet ibis swooped out of its confines and came barreling out of the cage at speed that rivaled an immortals. There was no way that it was normal bird, it had been mutated or something. Tsunade tossed me the cage and the key and I caught both in different hands.

"Here's the objective. Quite simply, catch the ibis and lock it back in the cage before time expires. The 'blood' that you see is actually a form of water so you will be able to utilize it in your capture. You have 3 hours. Any questions?" she asked airily.

I grasped the cage tightly. "None." I replied shortly. It was a bird, god knows how fast it was, but it was harmless, right?

As if Tsunade could read my thoughts she smiled angelically, "And be careful, Sakura. It bites."

* * *

><p>AN: hi guys :) writer4everr here with another chapter! We have hit the 30 chapter mark, I feel like that's a long way…holy crap. It makes me sad that this story will be over with in another 5 chapters approx. But have no fear! I will always be cranking out some stories and if you guys have any suggestions, give them! I read over these reviews like crazy, almost obsessively. Thank you for helping me pass the 850+ mark, it's crazy how popular this story has gotten and it wouldn't have been possible without all of y'all. I'M TEARING UP HERE, GODDARNIT. K. I'm done.

Some tracks I listened to get in the mood

Electric Feel- MGMT

Give Me Love Ed Sheeran (forever wishing I will have a bf that will sing this song to me.)

Fergilicious- Fergie (Kay who else knows all the lyrics?)

LOVE Y'ALL,

WRITER4EVERR


	31. Chapter 31

Chatper 31-Seeing Scarlet

SAKURA POV-

I stared at the regal lady before me. "It bites?" I echoed.

"Well, yes. You don't think we would just give you a simple bird for you to catch did you? What kind of initiation ceremony would that be?" she explained impatiently.

"Not a very interesting one, I suppose." I replied dryly.

She beamed at me. "Exactly, besides I've made sure no fatal damage will come to you. You'll be fine. I'll be watching from afar in case anything goes out of hand."

I registered her words and nodded nervously. "Alright, I guess, does Sasuke know I'm here?" I asked suddenly.

She made a face. "I'll be sure to tell him. I don't reckon he'll be happy. I told him I'd wait a day but I say why wait?" She leaned down to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Good luck." She smiled sincerely and then was gone.

A chill passed down my spine as it was quiet all of a sudden. Only the faint rustle of branches could be heard. I turned to face the woods and squared my shoulders, "Here we go."

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

There are some people that you fear, some people that you hate, and some people that you love. My father managed to encompass all of those three aspects. I feared him, his temperament, and his power. I hated that he never was happy with me. I hated that he always knew my weaknesses. And a part of me struggled to admit that I did love him. After all, I was still, in some ways, the little boy he wanted nothing more than to please his father. And that ticked me off. It maddened me that I still had that vulnerable side that would drop everything if that meant his father would be pleased with me.

Words cannot describe the emotional mess I was when he came into my vision. I was furious, I was scared, I was happy, I was nervous, and I went blank. I felt like a hollow doll that was teetering in the gust of emotions. I had just been with Mikoto and Itachi in a random library of the palace. I hadn't been expecting him of all people. My throat went dry as he smiled at me.

And then he turned away and pulled my mother into a kiss and then he turned to Itachi for an awkward but genuine hug. "How was the trip?" he conversed with Itachi.

Itachi shrugged, "A bit tiresome being stuck with mother for hours on end."

Mother glared at him and smacked the side of his head, "Now, Itachi! I'm a perfectly pleasant person to be around."

My father chuckled, "I'm sure you are my dear." That small conversation launched me into frustration. Why were they acting like a normal family? Why did Itachi and mother greet him so kindly when they knew all the stress and pain I had suffered through for him? It wasn't right to just ignore it and move on. I didn't want that.

I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep quiet. I knew I was being selfish. Hell, I was being a brat. I could have just graciously taken this chance to start anew but my damned pride got in the way. I couldn't let this go.

Mother glanced at me, "Sasuke! Greet your father properly. You haven't seen him in a decade!" she scolded me.

I put on a nonchalant face and crossed my arms in a sign of defiance. "Oh. Hey." I replied shortly. "How've you been? Must have been lonely by yourself without me there to rip apart." I retorted impulsively.

Father's face darkened. "Sasuke." He growled out evenly. "I have tried to make the effort to start anew. I suggest you do the same if we are to make amends." He squeezed his fists together and breathed out trying to calm himself. Geez, he was getting good at this. By now he would have exploded. He must have been taking therapy classes or something.

I scoffed, "What efforts? I just saw you and you smiled. Oh wow, big effort, Dad."

"Sasuke." My mother cut in lightly with a dangerous edge to her tone.

"It's alright Mikoto." He interrupted. "Actually, he doesn't know yet. I was speaking to Sakura earlier. I was trying to see what about this girl got you so in love." He smiled good-naturedly as if that was supposed to make me warm up to him.

My anger intensified as the thought of him talking to Sakura came to mind. "You talked to her? When?" I demanded. "I left her with Kakashi."

"And I was walking around I came up to talk to them. She's a sweet girl a tad quirky but a nice girl."

"Oh isn't she?" Mikoto gushed and then she caught sight of my expression and stopped. "Sasuke your father was making an attempt to get closer to you. He just wanted to meet the bride of his son. You can't possibly see fault in that."

"Actually I can." I retorted. "See, the problem is that you were the one that told me to always work hard to meet your expectations. I tried my best and I failed in your eyes and so you said you didn't want to see me anymore, hence me leaving and creating a palace for myself. And then decades later when I get a bride you're suddenly are all interested in my life, again? I just can't move on when apologies haven't been said and when you act so bipolar about your feelings toward me being your son! So what is it? Huh?" I demanded. "Are you ashamed of me?" I bit out angrily. "Or do you actually care?"

It was quiet as I stared into my father's coal eyes and he stared back with his eyes widened in surprise at my outburst.

"You think I don't care?" he whispered out in disbelief.

"No shit." I growled. "I mean what am I supposed to think when you banish me."

My dad let out a breath of air, "Sasuke, I've done a lot of things that I didn't mean. And you know all about our pride. The stupid Uchiha pride." He let out another breath as if it was taking all his life force to say this apology. And I bet it was, I had never heard him apologize before. "I haven't got the guts to apologize or make amends to what I did to you when you were a child. But the reason why I got so interested all of a sudden is because when I heard that you had found a bonding mate I was struck by the realization on how much my pride had gotten in the way of being a part of your life." He made a face, "God I know this sounds cheesy and you must still bear some hatred against me. I would too, but I'm coming here to apologize finally after all these years. I really do want us to be a whole family again."

A lump rose in my throat and I struggled to push it down. "Jesus," I croaked out. "You sound genuine for once in your life." That was all I could manage to say.

I saw Itachi's lips form a small grin and Mom dab at her eyes with her kimono sleeve. Father looked at me once and then broke out into a grin, "I've been rehearsing over and over what I wanted to say to you. I guess Kakashi did tell you I was a nervous wreck this morning when you had arrived."

I cleared my throat, "Thanks for all that." I managed. Shit, do not tear up! "I can't forgive you just yet." My dad's face faltered. "But, I really want to give this a try. I don't think I can forgive you after just one apology, forgiveness is more of a process for me." I tried to explain without butchering the situation.

He chuckled, "Of course." He opened his arm for a hug and I returned it, awkwardly, but nonetheless returned it. A loud wail resounded and we both turned abruptly to see my mother bursting into tears.

"I've waited a150 plus years for this moment!" she clutched onto Itachi as if her knees went weak at the sight of her son and husband reuniting. "This is even better than when I found out you and Sakura were together again!" she took out a handkerchief and blew her nose into it daintily.

A light knock sounded on the library door and Kakashi's head popped in. "Sorry to ruin the moment but Tsunade has requested the Uchiha family to come down to the observation deck. Sakura's initiation ceremony has begun and she would like you to spectate."

Mother let out another gasp and I swear to god she was going to have a heart attack if another surprise came her way.

"When did this happen?" I cut in sharply. "I didn't tell you to take her to Tsunade; I said to show her around!" Sakura wasn't ready. She was days old and if she was left to Tsunade's initiation ceremony, I was having doubts about her chances of success.

"Tsunade overrides your order as empress." He shrugged and then motioned for us to hurry up. "Now are you going moan and groan about it or are you coming along?"

I had no choice. I let out an irritated growl and followed my carefree ex-mentor down the hall, followed by my family.

* * *

><p>SAKURA POV-<p>

It had been an hour already. Maybe a little bit more time had passed than that. Either way, this was getting difficult. The ibis camouflaged into its crimson colored surroundings and was hard to spot if you weren't focused or looking closely.

I struggled through the woods and grasped the tree trunks for balance. A rustle sounded behind me and I turned abruptly almost losing my balance in the process, my hand reached out for a branch and grasped tightly. I pulled myself up and noticed with disgust at the bloody sap that now covered my hands.

_Snap._ The crack of a twig had my senses going on overdrive again. And I swiveled around silently looking for the bird. With my heightened senses I could see almost everything's defined shape and could hear sharply. And then I saw it, trying to camouflage against a dark red bush of leaves.

My mouth curved upwards, and power course through my veins. I felt strong, almost predatorial as I inched closer and closer to the bird trying not to alert my presence to it. I was so close, almost 4 feet away, then 3 feet, 2 feet, and then I was so close that I could have just stroked one of its crimson feathers.

It was now or never.

I lunged for the bird feeling adrenaline pumping through my veins and then reached out for its body. The bird reacted quickly, I saw the turn of its head and the beady black eyes as it let out a terrible, high-pitched whistle, and then it snarled at me. The bird snarled. Since when could birds snarl? And were those fangs protruding from its beak? I stopped short in instinctive fear and the bird took that as an opportune moment to strike. A squelching sound resounded in my ears as it bit into my arm, drawing blood.

Freaking out and blankly staring at the blood I tried to rouse myself. _C'mon Sakura, don't you dare lose out to a bird. You're an immortal, for god sake! _My breathing sped up and I twisted my un-maimed arm to draw the water on the ground up and concentrated. I remembered how Sasuke had instructed me. I froze the water into a solid ice dagger and thrust it into the bird's flank. It was an easy shot as it was literally hanging off my bleeding arm.

The bird let out another terrible screech and unclamped its teeth and sped off into the trees. This time however, I noticed a significant decrease in speed because of its wound. With his speed decreased I knew I could catch him know, it had lost its advantage.

I let the ibis go as I need to tend the skin wound on my arm. It was bleeding heavily and was spilling all over my kimono. Miraculously though, I felt no pain. It only first hurt when the bird initially bit into the skin. I flexed my arm and saw how bad it looked. There was literally a hole in my skin but on closer inspection, I saw that the wound was already beginning to close.

"Amazing…" I breathed out. So I had accelerated healing, great. Now I knew I wasn't going to die of blood loss. That was a load off my mind.

I looked up at the sky and saw that I had less than an hour and a half remaining. I struggled to stand up, weighed down my blood-stained clothes. I grimaced at my reflection in the pool and saw how ghastly I looked.

Geez and Sasuke said it wouldn't bloody. What a liar. He's lucky I love him too much to kill him.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

Anger hazed my vision as I saw red. Red blood all over her kimono. All over her porcelain skin. She was hurt. "What the hell is that?" I snarled.

Tsunade barely acknowledged me or my anger. "It's a scarlet ibis." She replied easily. "It's quite pretty, no?"

I slammed a hand down on the table, "The hell it is! Birds don't have fangs, or have inhuman speed like that." I looked back desperately at the mirror to where Sakura was lying on the ground, bloodied and wincing with pain. I swallowed hard and tried to push down the anger.

Tsunade looked at me carefully. "It's a mutated species. We were testing the effect of supernatural blood on different species. This specific species is a mutation between the Scarlet Ibis and the Goddess of Hunting's blood. It's a fearsome species but we also have it tamed so that it no longer has urges to kill, but merely to protect itself in the wild. Sakura will have to pass this if she is to unleash her potential."

"She's only days old!" I exploded with anger. "How do you expect her to compete against some bred lab rat? She has some knowledge of manipulation but she hasn't accessed her instinctive abilities and not to mention her transformation!" I raged on.

Kakashi stepped in and tried a soothing tone with me. "Sasuke, you also forget that she is no longer a fragile human being. She possesses greater speed and power than her opponent. She is also now endowed with accelerated healing." He pointed out and gestured over to the mirror where it showed Sakura's wound. True to his words, the blood had already been staunched and was now closing.

I bit my tongue hard. Damn, this was getting on my nerves, I had never felt so anxious so nervous before. I couldn't watch Sakura grapple with a mutant bird I was still used to her being the little vulnerable human that she had always been. "Fine." I conceded. "But if she gets bitten one more time, you have to stop this." I proposed. "She can't handle another hit.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Tch! Just watch, Sakura has the potential. Men, they always underestimate us women."

* * *

><p>AN: writer4everr reporting for duty! Yessirrreee :) how have you guys been? Happy Easter to all! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you thank you to all those people who reviewed, over 900 reviews now! I'm crying tears of joy. I really am.

MUCH APPRECIATION,

Writer4everr


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Completion

_Thump. Thump. _My heart was racing wildly as I moved through the arena. I felt like I was one of those hunters desperate for survival, training to catch the elusive game. But here I was, a mortal girl turned immortal standing in some arena trying to catch a bird. And somehow I felt that this was the start of these bizarre adventures.

Running through the grass, I kept a keen eye out for the crimson feathers and starting a second lap around the arena I finally caught sight of it. It stood preening behind some tree, trying to hide itself from my surveillance. My lips lifted up into a feral smile, _gotcha._ I continued running trying to find a way to sneak behind it. There was a clearing behind the trees and I swerved to the right to enter the clearing, slowing down to mask my footsteps.

There it was 10 feet away, still unsuspecting. Decisively, I jumped up into the air to lunge at it. I felt its feathers graze my fingertips and it let out a screech. I summoned all my strength and grasped a hold of it but it struggled under me body, eventually twisting and turning so that it lay on top of me with its beak pecking dangerously close to my eyes.

I grappled under its weight and fisted its beautiful crimson feathers in my fist. It squawked terribly as the feathers began peel off its body. The bird's gnashing fangs came close to my face but I maneuvered around it and let out my own shrill scream. It had its intended effect and the bird's eyes widened, twitching at my voice. It jumped off of me and headed towards the woods once more, sprinting ahead.

This time though, I was ready to pursue it. I jumped off on my feet just as nimbly and followed its bright red body through the area. I could feel the power literally pulsing off of my legs as I mimicked its exact twists and turns never relenting in my chase.

With each pound of my heart, I heard each second tick by, there was only moments left now. It was now or never. I gathered the blood water from the ground and wrapped it around my arm in tendrils of water. Summoning chakra to my feet, I bounced off the balls of my feet, pouncing off the ground. The bird's eyes flickered momentarily to the ground to see my shadow above it but it was too late. The tendrils of blood water shot out to ensnare the bird in a neat shot and it was over.

I grinned from ear to ear as I heard the squawk of defeat emit from the bird's throat. It wasn't a cruel, malicious pleasure from capturing the bird but I felt immense satisfaction in being able to channel something that had been given to me. I was no longer helpless mortal, Sakura Haruno. I was a powerful goddess.

A chill passed down my spine and a breeze whipped past the nape of my neck. I turned to see Tsunade with a warm smile across her lips. "Congratulations." She said simply.

"I'm done?" I ventured hesitantly. The fatigue was slowly sweeping into my nerves.

"You are." She smiled again. "You are officially a part of the immortals, joined through the Uchiha line. Give me your wrist, the one without the bond mark."

I complied and held it up for her. She took it firmly and pressed the pad of her thumb against my skin, the pressure steadily increasing. I winced as a sudden heat spread over the skin and red vein-like marks branched out from under Tsunade's thumb. The vein-like marks twisted together until they formed a crimson eye. The veins then darkened into an ink dark and twisted one final time to form 3 tomoe around the pupil of the eye. Tsunade lifted up her thumb, the pressure instantly gone.

"It is the mark of the Uchiha, the Sharingan. It is your identity to the world, for people to know the powerful immortal clan which you belong to."

I stared at the mark in stupor, "But I've never seen this on Sasuke." I commented with a frown

Tsunade chuckled and then applied pressure to the mark after which it promptly disappeared. "Immortal marks are usually not flashed around; they are a sign of power yet are not something to parade around."

I nodded in understanding. "I see." There really was nothing else for me to say. I was finally and officially an immortal. Everything was ahead of me now. I didn't have to look back anymore. Tsunade-san looked at me once and seemed to understand what I was thinking.

She drew me in for a warm embrace. "Relax, child. There is nothing more to worry about."

I really hoped she was right.

* * *

><p>SASUKE POV-<p>

"Well, there we have it. The first turned immortal in the line of Uchihas." My father spoke with a resigned smile. "She's got fight in her. I thought she'd shrivel up in the face of that nasty hybrid. The fates chose well."

My mother nodded in agreement alongside him, "Nothing less for my dear son." She spoke softly. "Speaking of which, when are you two going to marry? If you're scared about the amount of preparations, I can aid you." She spoke brightly.

I stopped, with an eyebrow arched questioningly. "Marry? She's already my bride." I replied quizzically. Why was there a need for a ceremony? We were already bonded, did girls like that sort of thing?

Itachi sighed, "You really don't know girls, do you Sasuke?" he smirked. "Girls like the feeling of finality and stability. Marry her in a traditional ceremony. She'll like that and it'll be important for you two."

I groaned, "It's way too much trouble." I grumbled.

My father crossed his arms, "Like your mother said, she'd help you. I don't see why not. We'll invite gods and goddesses across the land and throw a huge banquet." Mother nodded eagerly by his side, enthralled by the idea.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Look first of all I just want to talk to her. We'll sort out all the details alright? I mean, I'll think about that if it makes you guys happy."

She beamed, "Of course, my dear son! Go ahead and sweep your bride off her feet!"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling at my mother's words. It finally seemed like everything was back to normal. We were slowly becoming a family again.

Concentrating my chakra around my entire body, I teleported myself over to the area, behind Sakura to surprise her. "Hey." I greeted softly.

She turned around in surprise and saw me standing there. Her eyes widened and instead of the grin I had been expecting to stretch across her face she promptly burst into tears.

I stopped in my tracks, "Are you crying?" I questioned incredulously. "Why are you crying?" Panicking I could only pat her shoulder, unconvincingly.

"B-Because," she blubbered. "I just realized that I'm actually an immortal. I'm not going to die, I can l-live with you forever!"

"And that makes you sad?" I asked appalled. Was she backing out already? Granted, I expected some kind of regret after maybe a century but a day hadn't passed and she was already regretting her decision?

She stopped sniffling and now glared at me with frustration. "Are you stupid?" She cried fisting her hands together in exasperation. "I'm crying because I'm happy!"

I relaxed instantly, "Well, Goddamn it Sakura if you're spilling salt water all over the place anybody is going to think that you're depressed not happy." I growled, pulling her in for a tight hug. "Now stop crying before you get all snotty over my kimono." I mockingly reprimanded her.

She laughed, "Oops. Too late for that." She wrapped her arms around my waist and nestled her head into the crook of my neck. "Boy am I glad that's over." She muttered tiredly. "I feel spent."

"No kidding, you went crazy on that one bird. I'm kind of regretting that I turned you into an immortal, now you can actually kick my butt."

Sakura giggled and pulled back to kiss me on the cheek. "You watched the entire thing?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I kept getting mini-heart attacks watching you bleed all over your kimono. It kind of escapes my mind that you can actually heal as fast as I can." I chuckled.

"Oh, yeah, about this thing." She fingered her bloodied kimono and wrinkled her nose. "Can I get changed?"

"You can change out of it; you don't need to change into anything else, after that." I smirked knowing that it would fluster her.

Just as I predicted she blushed bright red, "Stop teasing me. It's not funny." she hissed and then stomped away.

I chuckled, crossing my arms. "How exactly do you plan to get back, Sa-ku-ra?"

She stopped in her tracks realizing there was nowhere she could go. Turning around she had a pout on her face. "Fine." She hissed through clenched teeth. "Let's go, dear Sasuke-kun." She bit out with sarcasm coating her tone. After finally holding onto my arm, we teleported out of the arena.

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><p>AN: I'm still alive guys :( I switched computers and it took me freaking FOREVER to get this set up I apologize. I just wanted to finish this super short chapter to show you guys I'm still here! I don't want to abandon this fic! Please stay tuned for more !


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Romeo and Juliet? More Like Naruto and Hinata

_4 days later-_

"I WIN!" I crowed, louder than I had expected. I laughed gleefully and pumped my fist in the air. "I won, Sasuke, I won!" I looked over at him with an expectant look.

Sasuke looked up from his slightly worn book with a dry laugh, "That's good to hear. What's the score now? 20 to 1?" He chuckled and returned to his book as if I hadn't just won against Asuma in Go. I had won against Asuma, the all mighty powerful and knowledgeable Asuma that claimed I wouldn't be able to win even one game. But, I had. Despite the fact that it had taken me 20 tries. I had spent all afternoon cooped up in the library with these two people as Asuma had offered to teach me how to play Go and Sasuke just tagged along because his suddenly happy family was freaking him out.

Asuma tsked, "Sasuke you should show at least some support for your girlfriend. After all, she managed to beat me after just learning it in a few days. With the right kind of training, you could beat Shikamaru." He praised.

I turned to Sasuke with a smug look, "Hear that? With the proper training I could beat the God of Knowledge himself."

He snorted, "Doubt it. Do you know how long Shikamaru's been training? Sure you can train, but it'll take you centuries of practice. Don't get your hopes up." Sasuke leafed through his book carelessly.

Asuma hastily tried to amend the situation as he saw me reddening in anger. "What I mean was that you have more determination and drive than Shikamaru ever did. I should know, trying to train that boy is back-breaking. He's the laziest person I know."

"You trained him?"

He nodded, "Yup. I trained him, Ino, and Chouji, another great-hearted sweet kid. He's the God of good health and satisfaction, the _Manzoku no Kami._ Anyways, Shikamaru was perhaps the most brilliant out of the three of them but he still lacked drive which caused him to lag behind others in terms of skill."

Sasuke spoke up again, "But, basically, you're still centuries behind Shikamaru." Asuma threw a glare at Sasuke and I felt my teeth gnash together in annoyance.

I picked up a nearby pillow and chucked it over at him. It sailed through the air in a perfect arc and hit him square in the face. I eased back down on the ground, satisfied that justice had been served. Asuma merely chuckled and began to clean up the Go set.

Sasuke grumbled and peeled the pillow off his face. "Luckily, we don't have to worry about your aim." He muttered more to himself than to Asuma and I.

"What? You can't possibly be shocked that she did that." Asuma hummed in amusement. "It looked to me like you were provoking her."

"I was not!" Sasuke growled in protest. "We always joke around like this, it's our way of talking to each other." He replied defensively. I let out a loud peal of laughter at how true that was. We did constantly bicker and insult each other but it was always in good nature. I shuddered in revulsion when I thought how it would be if we were always nice to each other and said sweet things. _Ew. Not my kind of thing. _It was much more fun to annoy the hell out of each other.

Asuma shrugged, "Whatever, not my problem. As they say, love comes in many shapes, sizes and forms…" he made a few hand signs, "I'll see you two kids around. Speaking of love, my dear wife requests my presence." With that he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke snorted, "He says our love is weird. You should see him and Kurenai." He muttered.

At this moment, the door to the library opened and in walked a couple that seemed vaguely familiar. The lady had short brown hair and fair skin. The man had bright red hair and teal eyes with dark bags that added a look of fatigue to his young appearance. The man I recognized very faintly but the woman I had never seen before.

I stood up hurriedly and greeted them with a deep bow. The two of them immediately ceased their talk and the girl smiled brightly as she caught sight of me. She had a young carefree look about her making her look like she was about 17 years old but of course, as an immortal she had to be at least centuries old.

"Hiya, I'm Matsuri, goddess of forgiveness!" she flashed a pearl white smile and took my hand affectionately. "It's great that you're here for a little while. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I flashed a smile, "Likewise, it's great to meet you."

The red-headed boy stepped up, "Gaara." He spoke in a whisper-soft tone. "I believe we met at the party at Water Palace? You were still a mortal back then…"

My eyes widened in recognition, "Oh yes! You were the one with the two other siblings, are they here as well?"

He shook his head, "No, they had to deal with matters back at Sunagakure, our family palace." He nodded and went over to Sasuke where he picked up a nearby book and began reading it silently.

Matsuri grabbed me eagerly, "Tell me all about your adventures in Water Palace. I actually have only been there once when I was a young kid. I wasn't able to attend the banquet…" she trailed off regretfully. "I hope to visit there soon. Who resides there now? What gods and goddesses have you met so far?"

"Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto and Hinata. They were all so lovely and welcoming when I first came here." I replied.

A strange look came over Matsuri's face. "Ohhh…Naruto and Hinata." She frowned a bit, "How are they anyways?"

"They're good." I replied lamely, there was no better way to describe the two of them. "They bonded recently and Hinata's pregnant." I smiled cheerfully; just thinking about the new baby put me in a happy mood.

She smiled dreamily. "That's quite lovely. I hope to have a child soon." A choked noise came out of Gaara and Matsuri glared in his direction. "Oh be quiet, you know you would love to have a mini-you running around the palace."

A surprised look came over my face, "You two are together?"

"Yes, yes of course. Gaara was my teacher when I reached maturation. I always had a strong admiration for him. You should see him spar, he's _excellent._"

Gaara sighed, "She tends to exaggerate…"

"I'm not!" she protested. "Anyways, about Naruto and Hinata, it's such a shame that their families can't get along."

That interested me, "What? I didn't know about that."

"Matsuri." Sasuke warned as an irritable look came over his face.

She flushed, "My apologies. It just came out." She murmured.

"Let her continue." I sat up straight now. "I want to hear this." Sasuke just shrugged and Matsuri took this as her cue to continue.

"Well, if you must know," she started as if she hadn't been the one herself to bring up the topic. "The whole riff between the Hyuugas and the Uzumakis started centuries ago. Apparently, two Uzumaki brothers both fell in love with the same Hyuuga girl. Unable to choose between the two, she committed suicide and…"

"-Wait." I interrupted. "How can immortals commit suicide?" I asked, flabbergasted.

Matsuri looked confounded but then chuckled. "I keep forgetting you're newly turned. Immortals can die. But only by their own free will, usually when they feel that their time is up and they have done enough for this world. That's how immortals are able to conceive new children. Every time a god or goddess leaves us, another goddess is granted the ability to bear a child. That's why most of us are only children. Well, with the exception of Sasuke over there, Mikoto was blessed with great fortune to have two children."

I absorbed this all in, fascinated. "What happens when an immortal breaks a sacred law? They can't exactly be executed."

"We have eternal banishment." Matsuri tapped the floor of the library with her dainty shoe. "Underneath this palace runs a maze that houses all banished immortals that have somehow wronged the balance of the world. Only the worst of the worst gets put here. Parasites, worms and hellhounds roam the prisons. Sometimes, if you listen closely, you can hear their screams of pain as they're being slowly, _torturously_ devoured inside out. They can't die so they're forced to relive the pain _over _and _over _again."

A shiver ran down my spine and I balked at the very image. "Matsuri, stop it." Sasuke's voice came again in a flat tone. "Kakashi already tried to frighten her; she doesn't need any more psychological damage. She's crazy enough as it is.

She giggled. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I couldn't help it. Being Gaara's bonding mate, there's really nothing I can do to frighten him, so I have to prey on innocents like you." Gaara continued perusing through his book only stopping momentarily to chuckle slightly at his girlfriend's antics.

"_Anyways, _back to all the drama. The Hyuugas were convinced that the Uzumaki brothers had pushed the girl to suicide and they swore never to affiliate with the Uzumakis ever again. So this continued, for ages and really, the kids of our generation. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Hinata, Neji don't really pay attention to this grudge. And the Elders of each bloodline didn't care if Naruto talked to Neji or Hinata. What ticked them off was that Naruto and Hinata actually fell in love with each other." She paused for dramatic effect.

I gasped, "That's just like a typical tragic love." I sighed at how romantic Naruto and Hinata's love was. Forbidden and tragic love appealed to me, it was the kind of thing that the older girls back at the village would gossip and brag about. I turned to Sasuke with a pout, "Why can't our love be as dramatic as that?"

Sasuke looked up from his book and glared, "Oh, I'm sorry was the drama of you being _sacrificed, _landing in the _immortal _world and meeting me, getting_ amnesia,_ being nearly killed _again _by your fellow village men, and _then _being turned into an immortal not dramatic enough for you? Perhaps we should make an evil twin for you, will you be satisfied then?"

I wrinkled my nose, "Already had one, remember that shifter? How about I suddenly fall victim to an incurable disease which you will then be so grief-stricken that you follow me to death?" I suggested in a biting tone.

Sasuke scoffed at the idea and returned to his book. "NO thank you. I would like things to be just a bit normal from now on, if that's not asking too much."

Matsuri looked at us back and forth with merry eyes. "You two are so adorable." She commented and then returned back to her story. "Going back to the love drama between Naruto and Hinata…Naruto's parents didn't care much about his affiliation with Hinata. You should meet them, Minato and Kushina. The Hyuugas however were furious with Hinata and they disowned her." My eyes grew wide and Matsuri nodded sadly. "They stripped Hinata of her powers and lowered her status to handmaiden."

"She was a goddess? I was under the impression that she had been a handmaiden since forever…" I trailed off and looked at Sasuke. "How come you never told me any of this stuff?" I demanded.

Sasuke shrugged. "Because Hinata doesn't like to bring it up. She's rather embarrassed about the whole ordeal. What kind of person would I be to talk about her past in front of her?"

Matsuri nodded, "Hinata doesn't like to talk about her former position. She used to be _Naimen no tsuyo-sa to kibō no megami__, _goddess of inner strength and hope. But, her father took that away. No goddess has been born yet to claim that positions so either fate is reserving that position for her or…her title will be sometime be taken away by a newborn."

"Can her father restore her title?" My brow furrowed, it just didn't seem right to revoke something like that. And it sure as hell didn't seem right for me, a mortal to be able to have a power while Hinata was stuck at a handmaiden position for falling in love.

"He could." Matsuri replied with a doubting tone. "But, Hiashi Hyuuga isn't one to do something like that. I mean, he banished his daughter. Sasuke had to take her in, because if Naruto did, a war would've broken out. Hiashi banished her to prevent shame from falling on his family but it backfired, it's even more of a scandal that Naruto is with a handmaiden now." Matsuri explained.

"But they bonded." I argued.

"True." She allowed. "But, don't expect one tattoo to suddenly change Hiashi's mind."

I let out an exasperated growl, "She's pregnant and he still refuses to come to her side? That's preposterous!"

Matsuri hesitated. "He has shown some regret, but he hasn't actually made any move to contact her whatsoever. Let's just put it this way, Hiashi is prideful and forgiving his daughter would hurt his pride."

I sat back down, helplessly as I thought about how alone Hinata must have been feeling. I felt so bad that I hadn't ever asked her about her family or anything. I swallowed hard, what was with her father's pride? It was almost similar to Sasuke's earlier predicament with his father. Perhaps that was why he volunteered to take Hinata in.

The door then slammed open and I saw Tsunade-sama hurrying in with a messenger pigeon perched upon her shoulder. She looked flushed as if she had been running down the hall. I got up instantly to greet her, "Tsunade-sama, is something the matter?" I asked alarmed.

Tsunade took in a breath, "Hinata is going into labor as we speak. She requests that you and Sasuke be there for the birth of her new baby. We leave. Now."

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><p>AN: Hi guys :) I'm back with a longer chapter this time! Thank you all for your support and all of your lovely reviews. I hope to write a very satisfactory ending as this story is already coming to a close T.T waaahhh so sad. BUT I do have a very interesting SASUSAKU story coming up that is already in the works. So have no fear! I will return with more fanfics.

LOVE Y'ALL,

WRITER4EVERR


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Irony

We had rushed over to Water Palace as quickly as we could. Tsunade accompanied us as she had the innate ability to teleport more than one person over long distances without any strain on her body. We had hurried into the gates at once. Tsunade stayed behind to check the security at the gate.

Sasuke had been agitated the entire time, worried about Hinata and the baby. Hinata, I gathered, had been a very weak child and he was worried that she wouldn't have the strength to endure child labor. I hoped with all my might that she would make it. It would be a cruel twist of irony if the ex-goddess of inner strength and hope could not manage to deliver her baby safely.

Once we reached the medical wing we immediately caught sight of Naruto. "Naruto!" I cried out, breathlessly. He looked over, distractedly but then his eyes widened as he caught sight of us. He hurried over to meet us.

"Sasuke, Sakura thanks for coming over here on such short notice." His palms were slick with sweat and his eyes were anguished. "They're not letting me in to see her. Rin said it's something I shouldn't see but she keeps screaming my name and I-"he looked helplessly at me, unable to continue.

Sasuke nodded and patted his best friend's back. "Look, Rin's right. I'll stay out here with you and Sakura will go help with the Hinata. There's no need to worry, she'll be perfectly fine." He reassured consolingly.

"Sasuke's right. Doctor Rin knows what she's doing." I spoke hastily. I hated saying stuff like that. Who knew what was going to happen. It wasn't fair for Sasuke and me to be telling Naruto things that were uncertain. I rushed into the medical wing to see Hinata writhing in pain on the hospital bed while a crowd of nurses bunched around her. Everybody was shouting chaotically reaching for various medical instruments and trying to do their best to help the woman on the bed.

Doctor Rin was at the forefront of all the chaos. Her hair was pinned back, perspiration clear on her forehead. Her voice was hoarse from shouting out orders to the nurses that scurried about. She alternated from shouting out commands to dropping to a soothing whisper, trying to comfort Hinata.

A nurse's voice came over the din, "We need to stabilize her, before we cause permanent damage."

"Well then stabilize her!" Rin growled out. Her tone was sharp and commanding and the nurse dropped her head down, trying to do just that.

"Rin-san, I'm here, how can I help?" I asked desperately. As I went up closer I could see Hinata's face, devoid of color and slick with sweat.

Doctor Rin looked up for one second to glance at me. "Sakura, I'm glad you're here. Fill the syringes with that chemical on the table." She gestured over to the table. "Hinata, stay with me!"

Hinata responded with a weak croak. "How much longer?" she barely managed with a pained gasp.

"Push, Hinata! Just a little bit more." Doctor Rin's voice cooed sweetly over the din of Hinata's agonized screams.

The sight of Hinata in tears, covered with sweat and blood made me sick to my stomach. I had never seen anything like this. Of course I had heard about woman giving birth to children but never had I actually witnessed it with my own two eyes. When Sayuri had been born, the shaman had herded me out of the room and I had to just sit there listening to my mother's cries.

"Sakura," Doctor Rin's eyes flashed over to meet mine. "Go grab another washcloth and cool her forehead." She instructed. Of course she gave me the simplest jobs to do. I felt like a lost puppy with no clue or direction on how to help my friend. The only thing I could do was run a washcloth over cold water.

I hurried over and wet another cloth and folded it neatly, placing it gently over Hinata's forehead. Her eyes widened slightly at the cool feel and she breathed in and out harshly. "W-where's Naruto?" she panted out. "I need Naruto." She grabbed at my hand and squeezed painfully.

"Sweetie, you need to focus on your baby, Naruto will be here when it's all over." Rin brushed back Hinata's damp hair. "Just a little bit more."

"Nngh…AHHHHH!" Hinata let out a painful scream that seemed to echo across the room. Tears were streaming down her face intermingling with her sweat. Hinata's fingernails punctured my skin and blood streamed down my palm. It didn't matter. I imagined the pain she felt must be 100 times greater.

Hinata let out another grunt of exertion and pushed once more with all the strength she had. Doctor Rin let out a small gasp, "Hinata-chan, I can see the head! You're almost there. You're going to be fine."

A weary smile broke out on Hinata's face and she nodded slowly giving another heave. Her teeth clenched together trying to silence the screams that were threatening to erupt from her throat. She gave another push, squeezing her eyes together.

"One more push." Rin's steady voice came.

"I can't." Hinata gasped. "I can't." her breathing became shallow and her eyes went blank. My heart nearly stopped as I saw Hinata suddenly go rigid.

"Rin? What's going on?" I croaked out. "Hinata!" I cried out, panicked.

Rin let out an oath and she put her hands over Hinata's cheeks. A bright blue glow emitted from her hands but Hinata stayed immobile. Rin cursed again and grunted in exertion, trying to resuscitate Hinata. The blue glow grew brighter and immediately Hinata came back to consciousness as if Rin had shocked her awake. "Stay with me." Rin growled aloud, going back to attend to the baby.

Hinata nodded wearily and she held on to me once more. "D-don't let me fail…" she whispered hoarsely. I nodded and grasped her hand tightly. Hinata gave a loud cry, and pushed with all her strength. A beautiful cry suddenly filled the room. It was a different cry from Hinata's agonized ones. This time the cry came from the baby that Rin held gingerly in her arms.

"It's a girl." Rin announced softly. As a little child I never understood why mothers cooed over newborns. I always thought they were ugly with red, wrinkled faces. But now, I understood the beauty. This baby had the biggest lavender eyes that were full of pure innocence and life. Her little blond tufts of hair were like little splotches of sunshine radiating off of her. The baby girl was exquisite.

"A girl?" Hinata's voice came breathlessly. "Let me see her." She reached out eagerly to see the baby. She cradled the baby in her arms with a gentle caress and her eyes lit up instantly. "She's beautiful." She murmured, nuzzling the baby with her nose.

"I'll go get Naruto and Sasuke." I hurried out of the door to see Naruto standing by the door with an agitated expression. I broke into a grin, "Don't you want to see your child? Come in!" I announced with a loud laugh.

A look of relief broke out onto Naruto's face and he nearly bulldozed me over, rushing to Hinata's side. "Hinata," A look of shock came over his face as he saw how worn down she looked but his expression immediately turned to joy as he caught sight of the baby in her arms. Hinata smiled and handed the baby to him.

"I'm a father." He chuckled in disbelief, holding his daughter with tenderness. The baby looked up at him curiously with her wide, lavender eyes. "She has your innocent eyes, Hinata-chan." He made a cooing face at the baby and she immediately smiled back at her father.

"What shall you name your daughter?" Rin asked with a broad smile. "I'll send a telegram straight away to the palace for her registration."

"Ayane," Hinata whispered out with a small smile. "Ayane will be her name."

Naruto kissed his daughter's nose. "Hi Ayane." He greeted softly.

"Who would have guessed?" Sasuke's low voice came behind me. I turned around to see a genuine smile on his face. "Naruto becoming a father…it's almost unbelievable." He chuckled.

"I think he's going to be a wonderful father." I stated decisively. "The fatherly love is practically radiating off of him; he's going to spoil her so much." I laughed at the thought.

Sasuke leaned down to plant a kiss on my forehead, "Aren't you a bit sad? Seeing this? You know how slim the chances are of getting a child when you're an immortal." He murmured lowly. "I feel a bit guilty."

"I'm a little sad." I allowed. "But hey, there's certain sacrifices you got to make right? I do want a child but I don't mind waiting for one. Besides, I have a feeling I'm going to be preoccupied with you for quite a bit." He smirked and leaned down to kiss me once more.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"I've known that to be true for a while." I laughed.

"Sister!" That loud, urgent cry startled the both of us as the doors to the bedroom burst upon as a small girl of about 14 years came rushing in with Tsunade at her side. She stopped suddenly as she saw Hinata on the bed, with Naruto at her side, holding a baby. "S-Sister…" she paled looking at the sight in front of her.

The little girl had soft lavender eyes that Hinata possessed but they seemed fierier than Hinata's gentle nature. "Is that?" I asked Sasuke, questioningly.

"That's Hana, Hinata's little sister." Sasuke whispered quietly. "She's the more favored daughter because she's a genius when it comes to chakra control. Their father Hiashi had forbade her to see Hinata after he disowned her." He informed me quickly before turning his attention to the little girl.

"Hana, what brings you to my palace?" he greeted with a warm smile. Hinata only stared at her little sister, stupefied at her presence.

Her sister trembled, "I h-heard the news about your pregnancy. Father forbade me to come here b-but…" she burst into tears and almost hurled herself at Hinata, hugging her tightly. "I couldn't leave you like this! I missed you terribly."

Hinata was speechless. "Hana." She could only hug her sister tighter to her chest. "You must return quickly before father finds out, he'll disown you too and take away your powers." She turned ashen at the thought.

"No." Hana frowned stubbornly. "I'm tired of being locked up at that palace. I'd be glad if he disowned me." She stated decisively. "Besides, I'm an aunt now. I should be allowed to see my niece and sister." She laughed happily and looked over at Ayane who was cradled in Naruto's arms.

"She's adorable, isn't she?" Naruto grinned and gently placed the baby in her arm. "It's good to see you again, Hana."

Hana smiled, "Naruto-kun! It has been a while, I trust you're well?" She spoke maturely for her outward appearance. I doubted she was only a teenager.

Tsunade stepped forward suddenly. "As happy as I am for the reunion, we must bless the baby before it's too late." The elderly goddess interrupted.

"Bless the baby?" My eyebrows rose, quizzically.

"Yes. It's a process to determine the latent ability of the newborn baby. It must be done quickly after the birth." Sasuke informed me patiently. "Tsunade and Jiraiya are the only ones who can do this because they are the rulers of the supernatural world."

Hana dutifully handed the baby to Tsunade. The Empress closed her eyes and she began to slowly chant, and the little girl began to coo happily. I almost couldn't believe my eyes as the baby's skin began to glow with a bright sheen. And as suddenly as the glow had been there it had disappeared. Tsunade opened her eyes with a smile but her eyes held a sort of displeasure and reluctance.

Doctor Rin noticed this, "Tsunade-sama, there isn't anything wrong with the baby is there?"

"N-no." The Empress replied with a steely look in her emerald eyes. "There's nothing wrong with _her._"

"So then what power does she possess?" Naruto pressed impatiently.

Tsunade looked at Hinata steadily. "She is now the goddess of inner strength and hope. Your daughter has inherited your position."

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><p>AN: hello? *peeks around the corner* I've been on vacation! I swear! I apologize for the long wait but I just got back and wrote this up so I hope you enjoy it. I believe next chapter will be the last *sobs* but I hope you enjoyed this story to the fullest.

MUCH LOVE,

Writer4everr


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Conclusions

When Hinata absorbed the news, fear immediately registered in her eyes. Fear that I didn't understand. I knew right away that Hinata would be crushed by the thought that she could never regain her power but I hadn't expected to see a horrified, scared expression freeze on her face. "Th-that's impossible." She tried to compose herself but I could see the color leaving her face.

Hana rushed to her side and tried to calm her. "Sister, please-''

"Father." Hinata choked out. And with that one word I understood why she had looked so fearful. If she never regained her power she could never get back in her father's favor. I swallowed hard trying to think of something to say that would at least be somewhat helpful.

Hana seemed to understand her sister's fear right away and she shook her head fiercely, "You don't need his approval. You've made your own life without him interfering every step of the way. What good would showing him do? His pride would only be further damaged and he'd lash out at you. You don't need him."

"A-All I ever wanted was his approval." Hinata's voice trembled. "I can't suddenly tell myself I don't need that. That's what my goal was ever since I was little and now I'm just throwing it away."

Hana enveloped her sister in a tight hug, "You're throwing it away for the better. It's a step forward. Don't think of it as something bad." She whispered soothingly.

"I have grown up under him ingrained with the thinking that I always have to do what he wants. I can't suddenly change that Hana. You wouldn't understand being the youngest. I as the eldest always had to deal with the brunt of his anger!" Hinata seethed. There was no anger there. Just pure frustration.

Hana was taken aback by this and she paused before her face contorted into anger."This is entirely _his_ fault!" she raged. "It's always his stupid pride that ruins things for this family_. _First he disowned you and now it's officially impossible to reinstate you as goddess. When I get back home-"

"Hanabi Hyuuga!" Hinata's voice raised sharply, her face flushed. I had never seen Hinata speak so commanding or even have a hint of anger in her voice. "_Please, _refrain from speaking about this any further." She looked visibly shaken as she reprimanded her sister.

Hana closed her mouth, pursing her lips together. "My apologies, sister." She muttered with her head lowered. "I don't know what came over me." She bit her lip, obviously agitated.

"Hinata-chan…"Naruto came forward, patting her back consolingly. "Hana-chan is just worried for you. We all are worried."

Hinata shrugged, merely holding Ayane closer to her. "There's no reason to be worried about me. I'm perfectly fine with the news. I knew I would never gain my powers back. It's only fitting that my daughter has it in my stead. It is time for me to move on from my personal drama and focus on raising my daughter." Her voice was steady but the conflict in her eyes said otherwise.

Sasuke tried, "Hinata-"

"I'm fine." Hinata whispered harshly.

He tried again, "Please, Hinata-''

"What do you want me to say?" Hinata burst aloud. Her eyes were blazing. "I can say that I'm angry and frustrated but what good would that do? My powers have already passed on! There's nothing-_nothing_ that I can do about it!" her chest heaved up and down as she tried to compose herself.

We were all stunned into silence. Never had Hinata been vocal about her feelings. She had never raised her voice. The pain was evident on her face and I could barely imagine what she must be going through. Hinata closed her eyes and cleared her throat. "Rin-san, if you wouldn't mine taking Ayane to the nursery…I feel all this yelling isn't good for her."

Rin nodded once and came over to scoop the baby girl up. She left promptly out the door, quietly cooing to Ayane. Silence filled the room once again as we waited for Hinata to speak.

"I refuse to house any resentment or bitterness towards my own daughter." Hinata began slowly. "It isn't her fault either way, she was born into it. I-I just feel frustration towards myself for not measuring up to what I wanted to be." Her eyes grew distant. "I think what I'm really angry about is that now I can never show my father that I have the strength and potential to be called his daughter. How selfish is that?" she asked aloud, bitterly.

"Whatever you need," I tentatively spoke. "Just ask, Hinata-chan."

Hinata rubbed at her eyes and cleared her throat. "I appreciate it, Sakura. But if you excuse Naruto and I, we have some things to discuss." She smiled politely gesturing towards the door. Tsunade, Sasuke, Hana and I filed out of the door, closing it quietly behind us.

Hana looked distraught. "I feared something like this would happen." She wrung her hands together and breathed in deeply.

"How is Lord Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked stiffly.

Hana smiled wryly, "Still stupid as ever."

Sasuke smirked and then turned his attention to Tsunade, "Can you do anything about this?"

She shook her head, "The fates have spoken. Lord Uzumaki's daughter is to be the new goddess of inner strength. They cannot rescind their divine gift. I can, and I will speak to Lord Hyuuga however."

He nodded, satisfied. "Perhaps I should go along." He chuckled humorlessly. "Tsunade if you wouldn't mind I have some things to discuss with you. He gestured down the hall. Tsunade nodded and continued down the hallway. Sasuke turned back to me, "Hana keep her company for me, will you?"

I snorted, "You don't need to babysit me, Sasuke." I made a shooing motion for him to go to Tsunade.

He allowed a dry laugh, "Keep an eye on her Hana, I'm serious." Sasuke turned to join Tsunade.

There was a moment of silence as we both watched the two of them walk away. "It's beautiful really." Hana spoke up with a little smile on her face.

"What is?" I asked curiously. I observed her closely this time. She was a petite thing but her eyes, although pale held so much vivacity and fire that made her look so much older than her ten year old frame.

"Love." She answered plainly. "Sasuke and you, I mean what are the odds? That you were the one chosen to be sent over and you happened to be bonded to him AND you were able to survive the immortality potion." She shook her head. "It's crazy."

I laughed. "According to the people around here, it's called fate."

It was her turn to snort, "Fate. Can be a bitch and can be a real-life miracle. Mostly a bitch though."

"Maybe one day I can be bound to somebody that I love." She mused aloud more to herself than to me.

"How old are you?"

She smirked, "Lady Sakura, I was probably alive when your grandparents were coming out of their mother's wombs. But to my family I'm still the baby of the Hyuuga branch."

"So you're stuck in this form?" I asked hesitantly. She was frozen in the body of a prepubescent girl but she was beyond years in terms of maturity and wanting somebody to love. I wondered how she would ever have the chance to be physical with a lover if she had a little girl's body.

"I know what you're thinking." Hana smiled. "You're wondering about this." She gestured to her small body. "This isn't my true form." She made some hand signs and a cloud of smoke billowed out around her and when it cleared a 20-year old version of Hana had replaced her.

My eyes nearly bugged out. The little girl was gone and instead a tall, imposing woman stood there with a willowy figure. If I hadn't known, I would've thought Hinata was the younger sister. "This is my true form."

The words stuck in my throat as I stared, bewildered. "Why do you keep the form of a little girl then?" I asked flabbergasted. It made no sense to me.

She chuckled. "So people underestimate me. There isn't much to fear about a little girl is there? My aging hasn't stopped yet." She explained. "I still grow and mature to the point where I look older than my elder sister. Hinata-chan's body has already frozen while mine still moves with time." She let out another throaty laugh.

I shook my head in disbelief. I remembered back when I was human when Mikoto had been talking about supernatural aging. She had said that different gods and goddesses stopped aging at different times. It was a truly confounding thing.

"I may be old compared to you but in the Hyuuga bloodline I am the youngest." She stated breezily. "When I was first born, Hinata was there every step of the way with me. She practically raised me. My father was too busy as he was the head of our family and my mother-'' she paused as if in deep thought. "Well she committed suicide after I was born, so she wasn't much of a help."

"S-She committed suicide?" I whispered, aghast. Right after she was born? The Hyuuga family, it seemed was anything but a one big happy family.

She nodded. "Yeah, great mother, right?" she snorted. "Hinata was my sister, mother, friend, confidante growing up. She was my whole world. When I heard that she had been having a thing with Naruto, I blew up at her. I was _so_ angry with her for the most selfish reasons. I knew that father would disown her meaning she would have to leave me. I screamed at her, and all she would do was stand there looking at me."

A tear fell down her cheek and she reached up to rub it away. "She had left without a word. One day I woke up and she just wasn't there anymore. I just sat there in my room by myself. Father came in to check in on me and he told me that everything was going to be okay. He told me with Hinata gone; everything was going to be better. But I couldn't believe that. It was suddenly as if all the foundation in my life had crumbled away."

"Did you ever get to visit her?" I asked quietly.

She barked out a bitter laugh. "_Visit?_ I would go to parties at Sasuke's palace hoping to catch glimpses of my older sister. But I never saw her. One time, I swore I caught a glimpse of her blue hair but that was it. It was as if Father had managed to truly wipe out her existence in my life." She sniffled, "You know, today was my first time seeing her in 50 years. I had to get the Empress to sneak me out my palace. Is that sad or what?"

I ran a hand over her shoulder comfortingly. "Better late than never." I murmured.

"In all those years, all I wanted was my older sister." She whispered quietly, and in that moment she looked so vulnerable as if she had just shifted back to her 10 year old form. "That was all I wanted."

A lump rose in my throat as I thought of Sayuri. The sudden thought of her was like a piercing sword to my heart. Was she crying back at home because she had no sister to take care of her? The parallels between Hinata and Hana's relationship and Sayuri and my relationship were almost the same.

_I had abandoned my little sister._ The thought was horrifying. After all those years of caring for her I had just taken up with immortality and left her. She hadn't even crossed my mind ever since I had been turned. Was this the real price to pay for everlasting life?

Hana's vulnerable voice broke into my horrified stupor, "When she was still gone I would always think of our last conversation when I just screeched at her angrily and she just stood there looking at me. There was no resolution to our relationship. There was no goodbye." Her voice cracked painfully and she harshly rubbed at the tears threatening to spill.

_There was no goodbye. _I broke out in cold shivers. Reality sunk in, _I have to go back, say goodbye._

"Sasuke-san!" Hana cried, hastily standing up. I came back to where I was and saw that Sasuke was approaching the two of us with a neutral expression. Beside me, Hana was putting on a smile, trying to wipe away any traces of her tears.

"Everything alright?" Sasuke asked hesitantly seeing the tear stains on Hana's cheeks and noticing my dazed expression.

"Everything is fine." Hana replied quickly. Sasuke looked at me for confirmation and I nodded with a little smile. He frowned a bit but decided to ignore my weird expression for now.

He accepted Hana's answer and he gestured over to Hinata's quarters. "What shall we do about Hinata and Naruto? It seems that it won't resolve easily." He sighed.

Hana sighed. "True enough. I think things will turn out fine." She declared firmly. "Hinata is a little shaken up about the whole ordeal but Naruto and all of us will help her through it. It will just take her some time. All things take time."

Sasuke nodded. "What will you do now? I assume that Lord Hyuuga will not be pleased with your absence."

She smirked. "Lord Hyuuga can't do anything. Powerful he may be, but nobody has greater influence than the Empress herself. She'll help me clear things up. Besides, somebody needs to go back and knock some sense into him."

"Are you sure you want to go back? We have open rooms if you wish." Sasuke offered.

Hana smiled. "The offer is much appreciated but if I stay any longer. Father's wrath will only increase."

"Thank you for coming anyways, I'm sure Hinata needed to see you. You have to come back soon to help Hinata with her baby. She needs all the support she can get." Sasuke advised, running a hand though his hair wearily.

"Anything for my elder sister." With a curtsy, she disappeared in a gust of wind.

I swallowed hard trying to push back the feelings that were threatening to burst forth. Sasuke didn't need to hear this now. He was busy with other affairs and this could wait. I turned to leave but Sasuke caught me by the wrist and whirled me around so that we were inches apart.

"I didn't want to pry with Hana around. But now that we're alone, what's really wrong?" he questioned with a steely gaze. I squirmed under his look. He could get me to tell him anything and I felt my resistance dissipate.

"It's not important." I muttered.

I saw him sigh, "Sakura, you still can't lie to me. I know something is wrong. You don't have to put up this act with me."

I bit down hard on my lip. "I miss her." I whispered out, averting my gaze. If he hadn't been so close to me he wouldn't have heard my quiet words. His eyes softened and he leaned down to kiss me gently.

"Sayuri?" he questioned simply.

I nodded once. "I just want to say goodbye." I swallowed hard. "I know I shouldn't see her. It'll be even harder to get over it. I'll have to watch her d-die." My voice cracked. "I'll just keep living forever and all the people I knew will just be bones in the dirt." The tears started to flow harder down my cheeks and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck trying to take comfort in the warmth of his body.

"I-I just want her to know that I didn't want to abandon her."

"Shh," he comforted me with his warm voice. "We'll go there. We'll go there now." He promised and I relaxed a bit at his words. Holding him closer to me I felt the area around me start to spiral around and wind whipped at my robes. I felt my feet start to lift off the ground and then touch the ground again. But this time instead of the palace carpet I felt grass beneath my feet. I smelled the sweet smoke of a fire nearby and the chatter of village men sounded off in the distance.

"Go do what you need to do." He whispered in my ear.

I let go off his warmth and saw my village once more right in front of my eyes. It was no illusion; I was here to find my sister. I stepped forward, heading towards the village for one last time.

* * *

><p>When I caught sight of her playing in the fields with some other children I smiled instantly. And I almost turned right around. The courage to go see her nearly left me. But she and I both needed the closure. My legs brushed through the tall wild grass and I went forward about 7 paces before Sayuri caught sight of me.<p>

The smile that instantly lit up her face nearly killed me. She came rushing forward screaming joyfully at the sight of me. "Sister! Sister!" she rushed forward, nearly knocking me over.

"I _knew _you were coming back. All the other people told me you were gone forever. But I just knew that you were going to come back for me." She laughed excitedly. "Where have you been?"

I smiled wearily, "I've been busy. I see you made some new friends." I glanced over seeing her friends stare at me curiously and then whisper to each other.

"Yup." She beamed. "Lots and lots of new friends! Where are you staying? Auntie doesn't really have any more room at her house. Are you going to stay with the Inzukas?" she questioned with an eager look on her face.

"I can't stay." I blurted out. There was really no way to put this gently. I couldn't beat around the bushes. I could only be painfully honest.

She was deathly quiet for a moment and I feared in that second that she wouldn't take it well. Sayuri's smile faltered but she peered at me with her curious jade eyes. "Sister, are you going to disappear again?" she asked with an almost knowing look.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. "S-Sayuri, that's the thing…I came to tell you goodbye. I might not see you in a very long time." My eyes burned as I tried to hold back the tears.

"A very long time?" she echoed. Her expression was blank but then her lips curved downwards, "Why?"

"B-because." My voice cracked painfully. "I've found a new home. It's far away from here though, so it'll be _really_ hard for me to visit you Sayuri-chan."My eyes prickled but I forced them back. I would not cry in front of her, it would just make this harder.

She fingered a strand of her rosette hair and bit her lip uncertainly, "Why can't you live closer?" she demanded. Her little hands curled into fists and I drew in a deep breath trying to smile.

"I found a home, it's safe for me, I have new friends there and somebody that I really love that I want to live with the rest of my life-"

Sayuri's mouth shaped into an 'O', "A boy?" she whispered excitedly. I nearly laughed at her expression. Out of all the things she would pick up on... She was so cute and innocent.

I laughed, "Yes, a boy. It's really hard for me to leave you but it's the only place I can live. I love you Sayuri and I'm sorry that I have to leave you but I _know_ Auntie will take really good care of you." I grasped her hands tightly. "You'll grow up to be a beautiful lady and you'll have all the boys chasing after you." I winked.

Sayuri brightened up, "You think so?" she grinned.

"I know so." I kissed her nose.

She looked at me silently for a second. "I'm going to miss you sister." she said quietly. "It feels funny." She frowned. "I feel really sad but really happy at the same time. I'm happy you have a boyfriend but I still feel at the sad time." Her nose wrinkled. "Is it possible to feel two things at the same time?"

"It is." I whispered. "I've felt like that a ton of times. Here," I pulled the hairpin out of my curly hair and gave it to her. It was a hairpin that I had gotten from Water Palace made out of the oyster pearls found only in the deep rivers near Sasuke's palace. The pearls shone more luminescent than any pearl in the mortal world.

Sayuri let out a gasp, "It's so pretty." She squealed.

"It's yours now. I gently arranged the hair pin into her pink hair and admired it. "I know it's not much but hopefully every time you look at it will remind you of me." I smiled at her and she grinned back before embracing me in a tight hug.

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

* * *

><p>When I returned back to Sasuke I had never felt so at peace. I said my goodbyes. It was time to go to a new home. The village I had grown up had done its job and raised me for what was to come and now I was going to new places. The happy memories that I had shared with people were going to stay forever part of the land.<p>

Sasuke hadn't said a word he merely wrapped me up in a tight hug. When he finally spoke it was to say, "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to say sorry. Everything is better now." I replied truthfully.

Everything w_as_ better. I couldn't glance back anymore. From here on out I had to keep looking forward.

The Bride of the Water God had a new home.

"_Goodbye Onee-chan."_

* * *

><p><em>Therein concludes the tale of The Bride of the Water God<em>


	36. Author's Note

So, let me say something.

THANK YOU.

The support for Bride of the Water God has been amazing and far beyond anything I was expecting. As the author of this and having to conclude this story I felt a bit sad and I still felt like I wanted to keep writing with these set of characters. I felt like there was more that I could write more stories that were not developed in this story.

SO, I'm planning to write another story in the BOWG universe with outtakes including other characters (so it wouldn't be Sakura-centric) ALTHOUGH there will be chapters with her in it. This new story will have chapters that will be take place before, during, or after this story.

Some chapters I have in mind are Ino and Shikamaru's story, Adventures of Little Ino, Little Tenten and Little Sasuke, and much much more. I'm really excited to get this started and I hope that you guys support this story as well. Please subscribe so that you will know when this story comes out!

THANK YOU AGAIN for all your support never before in my life had I imagined that this story would get over 1,000 reviews. This story was just a written on a random idea and when people actually started reading it I was so mind blown.

I love you guys so much. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the conclusion of this story.

OVERWHELMING LOVE,

XOXO WRITER4EVERR


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